To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on implementing a state-backed GP indemnity scheme in England; and whether the scheme will be implemented in April 2019.

In October 2017, the former Secretary of State for Health (the Rt. hon. Jeremy Hunt MP) announced the intention of the Department to develop a state-backed indemnity scheme for general practice in England. This announcement recognised that the rising cost of clinical negligence is a great source of concern for general practitioners (GPs).

The state-backed scheme is being designed to meet the needs of current and future GPs, offer affordable cover for GPs, and offer value for money for taxpayers.

Since the announcement, the Government has been developing the design of the scheme. We are engaging with the medical defence organisations and representatives of general practice professionals, and have communicated key proposals on scope, funding and how it will operate.

We currently plan to introduce the scheme next year.