Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve (a) access to GP appointments and (b) rates of early-stage cancer diagnosis in areas of socio-economic deprivation in Yorkshire.

We know that patients are struggling to access general practices (GPs), and that these struggles can be particularly acute for patients living in deprived areas. We will support equitable access to GP services, and we have already committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, as part of an initiative to address GP access. In order to ensure that all patients have multiple routes of access, we have committed to introducing a modern booking system, to end the 8:00am scramble.

The chances of surviving cancer are higher if diagnosed at an early stage. Therefore, early diagnosis is a key priority for the Government. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so no patient waits longer than they should, including in Yorkshire.