Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS sites have closed in Knowsley since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each site.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally. The Department is not one that is land-owning but works closely with NHS England to ensure that National Health Service estates should first and foremost support and enable the NHS’s operational requirements.
Integrated care systems are now developing comprehensive infrastructure strategies to inform the future pipeline of land and the overall approach to optimising the estate. When completed, these will inform our national approach.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the NHS GP provision in the Knowsley constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the the crisis in GPs, to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service.
We will fix the front door to the NHS, ensuring that patients receive the care they deserve by increasing the proportion of funding for GPs and primary care, and shifting the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community.
We have committed to ending the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments by introducing a modern booking system. We will guarantee a face-to-face appointment for anyone that wants one, bring back the family doctor, and introduce Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring together vital health and care services, ensuring healthcare is closer to home.
Additionally, we have committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which will increase the number of GP appointments delivered, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system.