Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect GP medical practices in England from being purchased by US-based companies.
Information on general practitioner (GP) practice ownership is not held centrally. It is for local commissioners to arrange the provision of appropriate services, by contracting with providers, in order to best serve the needs of their patient population.
Legislation sets out which individuals and companies are eligible to hold contracts to provide primary medical services. Eligibility varies slightly between contract type but there is no distinction in the eligibility criteria between companies registered in the United Kingdom and those registered overseas.
All contract holders and providers of National Health Service core primary medical services are subject to the same requirements, regulation, and standards. Patients should receive high-quality NHS care when they need it, that is free at the point of use.