Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on commissioning building upgrades at Woodlands Health Centre in Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on plans to upgrade GP provision and access in the Tunbridge Wells constituency, specifically at the (i) Lonsdale, (ii) Woodlands, (iii) Grosvenor & St James, (iv) Kingswood and (v) Speldhurst & Greggswood surgeries.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access. The Department has not held discussions with the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. It is for the relevant commissioner to ensure that appropriate provision is in place locally.
We are investing an additional £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to approximately £14 billion. This builds on the £1.1 billion increase in 2025/26, the largest uplift in over a decade. Since October 2024, £160 million has supported over 2,000 more GPs in primary care networks across England. Additionally, the 2026/27 contract also introduces a practice-level GP reimbursement scheme, backed by £292 million, to help practices recruit more GPs or expand sessions.
Tunbridge Wells sits within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. 9,000 more GP appointments were delivered in the 12 months to May 2026 compared to the year previous. Additionally, the 2025 General Practice Patient Survey found that 70% of patients rated their overall experience of their practice as “good” in 2025, an increase of 5% since 2023. Further information on specific GP appointment data by individual practice is available in the table attached.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
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 access to GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access. The Department has not held discussions with the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. It is for the relevant commissioner to ensure that appropriate provision is in place locally.
We are investing an additional £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to approximately £14 billion. This builds on the £1.1 billion increase in 2025/26, the largest uplift in over a decade. Since October 2024, £160 million has supported over 2,000 more GPs in primary care networks across England. Additionally, the 2026/27 contract also introduces a practice-level GP reimbursement scheme, backed by £292 million, to help practices recruit more GPs or expand sessions.
Tunbridge Wells sits within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. 9,000 more GP appointments were delivered in the 12 months to May 2026 compared to the year previous. Additionally, the 2025 General Practice Patient Survey found that 70% of patients rated their overall experience of their practice as “good” in 2025, an increase of 5% since 2023. Further information on specific GP appointment data by individual practice is available in the table attached.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department have had discussions with NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board on the use of section 106 funding from new housing developments to expand access to GP services and improve the quality of GP premises in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the challenges significant housing and population growth can place on primary care infrastructure.
The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to determine how the developer contributions system can be strengthened and improved to support the planning and delivery of the required social infrastructure in areas of population growth, alongside how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better used towards local health services and infrastructure.
The NHS Kent and Medway Integrate Care Board is responsible for commissioning, including planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes and how the impact can be offset through investment of developer contributions and other sources of centrally allocated capital.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of available section 106 funding has been spent on improving GP services in the last 12 months, and what this equates to in pounds sterling, in (i) England, (ii) Kent and (iii) Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the challenges significant housing and population growth can place on primary care infrastructure.
The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to determine how the developer contributions system can be strengthened and improved to support the planning and delivery of the required social infrastructure in areas of population growth, alongside how developer contributions from new housing developments can be better used towards local health services and infrastructure.
The NHS Kent and Medway Integrate Care Board is responsible for commissioning, including planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes and how the impact can be offset through investment of developer contributions and other sources of centrally allocated capital.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of establishing a neighbourhood health centre in the Tunbridge Wells constituency to meet demand for GP services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Neighbourhood health centres will be seen as the place to go for most health needs in every community. Delivery will be locally led and designed to reflect the specific needs of local populations. On 15 April 2026, we published Neighbourhood Health Centres Guidance and specification, to support regions and integrated care boards (ICBs) to develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.
We are working to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres by 2035. The first 120 centres, expected by 2030, will be delivered through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme using a mix of public investment and a new model of public–private partnerships.
We are currently assessing Neighbourhood Health Centre proposals submitted by ICBs. We received proposals from all regions, and all those submitted by the 28 May 2026 deadline are being assessed. We will notify ICBs of the outcomes over the coming weeks and months. We encourage MPs to continue to engage with their local ICBs as they develop their Neighbourhood Health Centre pipelines.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the quality of GP premises in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. This commitment will continue over the next five years. The Department has had no direct communication with the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board.
We are investing an additional £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to approximately £14 billion. This builds on the £1.1 billion increase in 2025/26, the largest uplift in over a decade. Since October 2024, £160 million has supported over 2,000 more GPs in primary care networks across England. Additionally, the 2026/27 contract also introduces a practice-level GP reimbursement scheme, backed by £292 million, to help practices recruit more GPs or expand sessions.
Tunbridge Wells sits within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. 9,000 more GP appointments were delivered in the 12 months to May 2026 compared to the year previous. Additionally, the 2025 General Practice Patient Survey found that 70% of patients rated their overall experience of their practice as “good” in 2025, an increase of 5% since 2023.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England and that includes assessing for the quality of GP premises. There are 14 GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency, all with an overall CQC rating of ‘good’.