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 improve primary care facilities in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the surrounding area.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and this means better utilising and expanding primary care infrastructure across the NHS estate. That is why we have set out our intention to fix the front door to the NHS and bring healthcare closer to home, and the local community.

The North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) advised that two new primary care facilities have opened recently within the borough of Havering, specifically St George’s Hub and Wellbeing Centre and Raphael House, both of which are providing extensive health care facilities, including offering out of hours appointments.

The North East London ICB is also engaging in a strategic review of NHS Property Service (NHSPS) and Community Health Partnership (CHP) assets in central Romford, to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure can meet the future demands of a growing and changing population. With new housing developments projected to increase the patient population by 28,000 by 2030, and additional population growth driven by demographic changes , the ICB notes that it is clear that demand for healthcare services will rise significantly beyond the impact of housing developments alone.

To address this, the North East London ICB is conducting a comprehensive review of all NHSPS and CHP assets as part of the Central Romford Master Plan. This includes assessing the current utilisation of leased space, and working with stakeholders to reconfigure and maximise underutilised estates, identifying voids, and exploring redevelopment opportunities to ensure we future proof healthcare provisions within the area.