GP Services

John Redwood Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

I am very proud to be part of a governing team that has spent more money on the NHS. We faced some incredibly difficult choices when the coalition was formed and protecting the NHS was at the top of our list. I have seen for myself some of the benefits of the reforms. Many more decisions about NHS services are now taken in Cornwall, led by clinicians and local people. That is very welcome.

I very much welcome the “Five Year Forward View” that NHS England has put together to cope with the considerable increase in demand on the NHS that is anticipated. Whoever is in government will face the challenge of how we can deliver the first-class services that everyone in this House wants for every constituent in every part of the country.

In the short time that I have, I will share with the House four observations that I have made from talking to staff in the NHS in Cornwall and to patient groups in my constituency, and we could usefully take them forward to help us to tackle some of the challenges we will face in the future.

The first is the role that women can play in addressing some of the work force challenges faced by the NHS as a whole and, in particular, by general practice. The second is how we can expand the services provided by GPs’ surgeries. The third is the role that GPs can play in A and E departments, and fourthly I wish to share some of the learning we have had from our great fortune in Cornwall in being part of the integration pioneer.

[Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that our party’s excellent policy of extending GP opening times and days is crucial, but it will require more GPs to work more flexible hours on an agreed basis?

[Sarah Newton]

My right hon. Friend makes a good point. The plan that NHS England has put forward is about shifting resources from the acute emergency care sector into primary care sectors, especially GP practices. The point that he makes about flexible working fits well with my point about enabling more women to stay in the NHS or to return to it. Many walks of life are addressing the issue of enabling women to combine their caring responsibilities with their desire to play a full part in society, whether that is in public service as a GP, as a Member of Parliament or in business. Much more work needs to be done by the NHS to look at ways to enable women to combine caring for children or elderly parents with being a GP or fulfilling other roles in the NHS.

Women often take a break to look after their families—it is something that I did myself—and it can be difficult for women in their late 30s or 40s to find the ladder back into their previous careers and occupations. I note that many former GPs could make excellent GPs again if they were given the opportunities to retrain and reskill. They could contribute enormously, through working flexibly, to enable GP practices to open more hours.