Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Vince Excerpts

Tuesday 19th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Josh Simons (Makerfield) (Lab)]

1. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of patient access to primary care services.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

8. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of patient access to primary care services.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

21. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of patient access to primary care services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Wes Streeting]

I agree with my hon. Friend on the importance of prevention at a local level. We are trialling neighbourhood health centres across the country to bring together a range of services, ensuring that healthcare is closer to home and that patients receive the care they deserve. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a neighbourhood health service, with care delivered close to home. I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to hear more about what is going well in his community and what further action we need to take.

[Chris Vince]

Does the Secretary of State agree that access to primary care is hugely important to supporting accident and emergency departments at hospitals like the Princess Alexandra in Harlow? Does he also agree that access to primary care is about not just GPs but dentists? Finally, what are the Government’s plans to support dental surgeries such as the aptly named Harlow dental surgery, which I visited last week?

[Wes Streeting]

My hon. Friend is right that many of the pressures on our hospitals, such as the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, are a result of pressures in other parts of the health and social care system. It is outrageous that the biggest reason for five to nine-year-olds presenting to hospital is tooth decay, which is why we need to get NHS dentistry back on its feet, along with the rest of the NHS.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Care and I have regularly met the British Dental Association since the general election to consider how the dental contract can be reformed to retain dentists and rebuild NHS dental services.