Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in Essex.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Essex, which will increase capacity and take pressure off those currently working in the system. NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we are providing £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board advises that there are currently 30 GPs on its Enhanced GP Fellowship Scheme, developed to support GP retention and recruitment. Additional fellowship opportunities, both portfolio and core, are due to launch in December 2024. A GP Fellowship Scheme is in place in Thurrock to specifically increase GP recruitment in the area. There has been an increase in the number of training practices, and Mid and South Essex now has 207 educators and 80 Training Practices.