Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to review the GP contract.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We hugely value the critical role that general practitioners (GPs) play. We want to work with doctors to get the National Health Service back on its feet, so it works for patients and staff. Our plan to restore GPs will require both investment and reform.
The GP contract is reviewed and amended annually following consultation with relevant stakeholders, and we will begin the process in the coming months. Further detail will be made available to relevant stakeholders in due course.
Written Evidence May. 28 2024
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: LTW0029 - NHS England’s modelling for the Long-Term Workforce Plan Royal College of General Practitioners
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, at what proportion of NHS spending he plans to set funding for GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We greatly value the critical role general practitioners (GPs) play, and we are determined to address the issues they face by shifting the focus of the National Health Service beyond hospitals and into the community. Under the previous government, primary care and GPs have been receiving a smaller proportion of NHS resources, and we’re committed to reversing that. Departmental budgets for 2025/26 will be confirmed at my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget, on 30 October 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7738 on General Practitioners: Gosport, what steps he plans to take to introduce Neighbourhood Health Centres in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to trialling Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring together a range of services, ensuring healthcare is closer to home and patients receive the care they deserve. This is part of our broader ambition to move towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier.
I thank my Rt. Hon. friend for their suggestion of Gosport as a trial location. We are working with officials to explore options for how best to trial Neighbourhood Health Centres.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will he make an assessment of the adequacy of NHS employment opportunities for newly qualified GPs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has made a number of recruitment and retention schemes available to boost the general practice (GP) workforce. While many newly qualified practitioners will subsequently take roles in GPs, others will contribute to the National Health Service in different ways or may choose to work elsewhere.
The Government recently announced changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which allows primary care networks to recruit GPs through the scheme for 2024/25. This is an emergency measure for 2024/25 whilst the Government works with the profession to identify a longer term solution.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
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 support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, as well as taking pressure off those currently working in the system. The inclusion of newly qualified GPs into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme will also support the recruitment of GPs.
The NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board, which includes Aldershot, advises it is committed to supporting, developing, and retaining its workforce, and that it offers a full and varied training and development offer to clinical staff. This includes the national New GP Fellowship programme, which currently has 40 newly qualified GPs across the Frimley system, two of whom are from Aldershot. The scheme helps the transition into GP, post qualification. Other initiatives include mentoring and national Continuing Professional Development funding for primary care staff.
Dec. 10 2008
Source Page: Table showing number of single-handed general practitioners in 2006 and 2007, broken down by PCT. 5 p.Found: Table showing number of single-handed general practitioners in 2006 and 2007, broken down by PCT. 5
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent GPs were working in West Dorset constituency as of 31 August 2024.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There were 58 full-time equivalent general practitioners working in the West Dorset constituency as of 31 July 2024, the most recent date for which data is available.
Asked by: Jeevun Sandher (Labour - Loughborough)
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 recruit more GPs in Loughborough constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, as well as taking pressure off those currently working in the system. NHS England has allocated £1.9 million of emergency short term funding, from October 2024 to March 2025, for the recruitment of newly qualified GPs in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB). The LLR Workforce Steering Group is reviewing options for how this additional resource can be used most effectively across the LLR ICB, including within the Loughborough area.
Newly qualified GPs are also being offered support through the LLR Primary Care Training Hub, which provides high quality education, training, and support to those working in primary care. The hub is currently working up a local offer of support for newly qualified GPs following the cessation of the national fellowship scheme in March 2024. This local offer will include continuing professional development, leadership development and wellbeing support, peer networking, and focused mentoring sessions, and will be delivered flexibly to enable GPs to access the support that they need.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a fund to support GP services in (a) rural and (b) other remote areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners receive global sum funding for providing core services, comprising approximately 50 to 60% of practice income. The global sum is a capitated payment, calculated based on the size of a practice’s registered list of patients, and weighted using the Carr-Hill formula. Through the Carr-Hill formula, payments to practices are adjusted in consideration of several factors, including the geographical location of a practice. This includes accounting for the additional costs of delivering services in rural areas, and in areas where staff costs are higher.