Oral Answers to Questions

Royston Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 20th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I will take the next question on condition that Members are exceptionally brief, as time is constrained.

[Royston Smith (Southampton, Itchen) (Con)]

14. What steps he is taking to increase the capacity and availability of GP services.

[Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay) (Con)]

16. What steps he is taking to increase the capacity and availability of GP services.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Steve Brine)]

We of course recognise the shortages in general practice, which is why we remain committed to delivering an additional 5,000 doctors working in general practice by 2020 compared with 2015.

[Royston Smith]

Like many other places throughout the country, Southampton is struggling to recruit and retain GPs. There are many reasons for that, but perhaps one is the practice of discouraging medical students from going into general practice while encouraging them to become specialist consultants. Is my hon. Friend aware of that and of how widespread is it? What is he doing to encourage more people into general practice?

[Steve Brine]

The Secretary of State has already outlined the plans for the new medical schools and the record 3,157 GP training places that were filled. I am aware of the practice that my hon. Friend mentions, and that is why we are working with the profession on a range of measures to boost recruitment into general practice. The existing professionals also have a role to pay, and the superb chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Helen Stokes-Lampard, is really leading from the front in that respect.