Chipping Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers, has challenged Ministers on improving access to GP appointments over the winter period.
Tackling delays in GP appointments is something Theresa has been campaigning on for some years and in Health Questions in Parliament this week, she highlighted this with Health Minister Neil O’Brien.
This is the Hansard report of the exchange on the floor of the House of Commons:
“The Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP: Access to GP appointments is particularly important to help to deal with winter pressures, so can the Minister update the House on progress in implementing the improvements promised in October last year to help GPs to expand to meet demand over the winter?
Health Minister Neil O’Brien MP: My right hon. Friend is so right, and she has been a powerful champion on this issue. We have invested £1.5 billion to get an extra 50 million GP appointments per year. The number of appointments in September was up 7% compared with the same month in 2019. We now have an extra 2,300 doctors working in primary care compared with 2019, and an extra 19,300 primary care professionals, on the way to the goal of 26,000 extra primary care professionals. This is hugely important, we are investing in it, and my right hon. Friend is right to campaign on it.”
Speaking afterwards, Theresa vowed to continue her work on this important issue saying “I know how crucial GP services are for my constituents. With demand for healthcare rising, we need to ensure that the additional funds the Government is providing to the NHS for primary care deliver expanded capacity in GP surgeries.”
“Progress has been made but GP surgeries are still stretched. I will continue to hold Ministers to account to ensure their commitment to an additional 50 million appointments in GP surgeries benefits my constituents in Barnet.”
