Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of GPs retiring in the next few years; and what steps they are taking to address this.

No specific assessment has been made as the decision to retire can be influenced by many factors. We are working to support and increase the general practice workforce, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.

The updated GP Contract Framework for 2020/21 announced a new retention schemes and continued support for existing schemes to allow more general practitioners (GPs) to remain in the National Health Service. We are also working with the NHS and the profession to understand how GPs’ working environment can be improved.