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 improve access to healthcare for the elderly population in Ashfield constituency.

We recognise that patients are finding it difficult to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to bringing back the family doctor so patients with complex conditions and the elderly population receive the care they deserve. We have invested an additional £889 million in GPs and, through the 2025/26 GP Contract, have incentivised primary care networks (PCNs) to improve continuity of care.

The Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework is a key contractual requirement for PCNs, ensuring coordinated healthcare services for care home residents across the country. Under the terms of this framework, all residents must have a comprehensive assessment of need completed and personalised care and support plans put in place within seven days of admission or re-admission to a care home, and all care homes must have a weekly home round supported by a multidisciplinary team.