Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Restoration of GP Services

Tuesday 8 June 2021 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • General practice has remained open throughout the pandemic, offering face-to-face, telephone, and online consultations.
  • An additional 270 million is available until September to support general practices in providing necessary care.
  • The GP data programme will strengthen the system and save lives, with extra time taken to consult stakeholders until 1 September.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paul Howell
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about the restoration of GP services post-COVID. He mentions constituents facing difficulties in getting appointments.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support the full restoration of GP services as part of the covid-19 recovery?

Answer from Jo Churchill

General practice has remained open throughout the pandemic, offering face-to-face appointments as well as telephone and online consultations. An additional £270 million is available until September to support general practices in providing necessary care.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about steps being taken specifically for restoration of GP services post-COVID, but the answer was more general without specifics on restoration efforts.

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Q2 Robert Largan
NHS
Context

The MP welcomes the new GP data system but is concerned about appropriate protections. He requests updates on reforms.

Question

Will the Minister update the House on these vital reforms to ensure proper implementation of a new GP data system with necessary safeguards?

Answer from Jo Churchill

The GP data programme will strengthen the system and save lives. Patient data is owned by patients, and extra time until 1 September has been taken to talk to patients, doctors, health charities, and others to build a trusted research environment and ensure secure access.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for updates on reforms but received general statements about the importance of data without specific details on reform timelines or measures.

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Q3 David Johnston
NHS Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about GP appointments and new housing developments without corresponding increase in GP services.

Question

Will my hon. Friend meet me to discuss how to get my constituents the necessary GP services, considering recent housing growth?

Answer from Jo Churchill

I understand that both practices in my hon. Friend's area are still accepting patients and that the Oxfordshire clinical commissioning group has been working closely with the practices to accommodate impact of housing growth, and I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner requested a specific meeting but received confirmation without setting a concrete date or plan for it.

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Q4 Paul Howell
NHS
Context

The MP discussed delayed GP appointments affecting early cancer diagnosis with local cancer groups.

Question

What is being done to ensure backlogs in GP appointments are addressed urgently, especially for early cancer diagnosis?

Answer from Jo Churchill

GP services are open, offering different communication forms. The Help Us, Help You campaign encourages symptom reporting. Latest data shows the highest recorded number of GP referrals for cancer in March 2021.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about addressing backlogs specifically to improve early cancer diagnosis but received general statements on GP services and campaigns without specifics on backlog reduction efforts.

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Q5 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
NHS
Context

The MP criticized the lack of public engagement in plans to collect GP data for commercial use.

Question

Will she commit to moving the 23 June opt-out date to 1 September and conducting a full public consultation on using patient data?

Answer from Jo Churchill

We will be considering everything in the round. I have spoken to many stakeholders, and as we move forward, we will ensure that trusted individuals are taken with us to build confidence in the system.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner requested specific commitments on opt-out date changes and public consultation but received general statements about stakeholder engagement without concrete commitments.

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