Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the challenges that rural communities face in accessing NHS services.

The Government recognises the particular challenges that communities in rural areas can face in accessing healthcare services. We are committed to returning National Health Service performance to the access standards as set out in the NHS Constitution.

The forthcoming 10 Year Plan will set out the reforms needed to ensure the NHS is put on a sustainable footing so it can tackle the problems of today and the future. The plan will focus on ensuring three big reform shifts in the way our health services deliver care: moving from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.