Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to primary care in Epping Forest constituency.

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and access other primary care services, and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs.

Our plan to increase the number of GP appointments delivered will require both investment and reform. We have already invested £82 million to recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs and take pressure off those currently working in the system. We will also train thousands more GPs, securing the future of the workforce, and will end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments by introducing a modern booking system.

We will provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. Additionally, to rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

We are also committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including by cutting red tape. That encompasses making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as we shift care from the hospital to the community.