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 GP surgeries meet demand for appointments.

We are increasing capacity in general practice by creating an extra 50 million appointments a year by increasing and diversifying the workforce. This will mean improved access for patients and support for staff to provide a wider range of care options outside of hospital.

To help general practitioner (GP) surgeries meet demand for appointments, we have announced a £250 million Winter Access Fund. This will assist patients with urgent care needs to see a member of the practice team when required, with a focus on increasing capacity for urgent same day care and taking account of patient preferences.

NHS England and Health Education England are working with the profession to increase the size of the GP workforce in England. This includes measures to increase recruitment, address the reasons why doctors are leaving the profession and encourage them to return to practice.