Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 25 October (HL1693), what assessment they have made of the June report, Enablers of digital inclusion in primary care for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities, published by the Roma Support Group, and Friends, Families and Travellers, on access for Roma and Traveller people to digital services in primary care contexts such as GPs, opticians, pharmacies, and dentists.

Enablers of digital inclusion in primary care for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities recommends that primary care services offer flexibility and choice, including non-digital access routes, and that accessibility should be prioritised when designing digital services.

We will ensure patients have multiple routes of access to primary care by guaranteeing a face-to-face general practice appointment to anyone who wants one, and by implementing a modern booking system to end the 8:00am rush. Digital tools used in primary care settings must meet required minimum standards of functionality set by NHS England, ensuring a consistent quality of service for patients, and all organisations providing National Health Services, including primary care providers, must follow the Accessible Information Standard.