Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve waiting times for GP appointments in North Shropshire.

The Government knows that patients are finding it harder than ever to access general practice (GP) appointments, and is committed to fixing the crisis to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. North Shropshire sits within the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB), where the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking is 4.1% lower than the national average.

Our plan to restore GPs and improve waiting times to see a practitioner will require both investment and reform. We have committed to training thousands more GPs, ending the 8:00am scramble for appointments by introducing a modern booking system, and trialing new neighborhood health centers to bring community health services together under one roof. Furthermore, the Government will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.