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 help increase the diversity of GPs; and how those steps align with the NHS Long Term Plan.

The Government is committed to fostering a diverse workforce. It is vital that the National Health Service’s workforce represents the patients it serves, which is why we are actively encouraging better flexible working such as job-sharing and part-time hours.

To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. We are listening to and co-designing the plan with the public and health and care staff. We want patients and staff to feel the difference in their daily lives. A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.