Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of incentives for recruiting and retaining GPs and other healthcare professionals in rural areas such as Suffolk.

We recognise the particular challenges rural communities can face in accessing general practices (GPs), including longer travel times and workforce pressures. We are taking action to improve access across England, including in rural areas such as Suffolk.

Since October 2024, £160 million has supported over 4,000 more individual GPs to find roles in primary care networks in England, of which over 2,300 are currently in post. The 2026/27 contract also introduces a £292 million practice-level reimbursement scheme to help practices recruit more GPs or expand sessions.

Suffolk sits within the NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board. There was a 2.6% increase in appointments delivered by GPs in the 12-months to July 26, as 12.6 million appointments were recorded compared to 12.2 million for the same time period in 2025. There are now 880 full time equivalent, fully qualified GPs working since in Norfolk and Suffolk as of July 2026.

We are reviewing the Carr-Hill formula, which informs how resources are allocated to practices based on estimated workload. The initial phase concluded in May, and recommendations are now with the Department for consideration, including how resources can be targeted where they are most needed.