Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in areas such as new towns where the population is rapidly expanding.

It is for the local clinical commissioning groups and NHS England to commission local services including general practitioner (GP) services.

Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group has been working together with general practices, GP localities, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Health Education England and local stakeholders with patient groups and voluntary organisations to identify new ways of working, which will provide a sustainable primary care workforce. Using the principles within the General Practice Forward View (GPFV) local initiatives have already commenced.

The GPFV published in April 2016 set out this Government’s commitment to 5,000 additional doctors in general practice by 2020. These GPs will be distributed across England in line with local need.