Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the number of GPs in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East.

South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) supports a number of initiatives to attract general practitioners (GPs) to the region.

The CCG is in the process of developing new career start posts, which will enable newly qualified GPs to apply for supported roles. The GPs will receive mentorship and help to focus on their clinical and personal development, with the hope that GPs will continue into permanent roles within South Tyneside.

In addition, it has been announced that Sunderland University will be opening a medical school in September 2018. The school will specialise in GP and psychiatric training, and it is envisioned that 50 students will enrol in 2019 and 100 new students in 2020. While the students will not be fully qualified GPs for a number of years, the CCG is establishing early links with the medical school, which it hopes will put the CCG in a better position to encourage students to remain within the region once their training is complete.