Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

GPs: Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Tuesday 23 November 2021 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary of State provided 250 million through the winter access fund for GPs to improve telephone access.
  • This funding can be used to recruit more telephone receptionists or build up resources like a cloud-based telephone system.
  • Gordon Henderson reported that all GPs in his constituency are oversubscribed and patients struggle to get appointments, even for virtual ones.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gordon Henderson Con
NHS
Context

The question arises from a situation where local constituents are facing difficulties accessing GP services due to oversubscribed practices.

Question

What recent steps has the Minister taken to help ensure that everyone in Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency has access to a GP? I think the Minister has been misled by my local CCG. All GPs in my area are oversubscribed, people find it very difficult to get an appointment, even including virtual appointments. Some patients struggle to speak to a receptionist due to busy phone lines.

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We recognise the difficulty in telephone access. The Secretary of State has addressed this through the winter access fund with £250 million available for GPs to either recruit more telephone receptionists or build up resources, including a cloud-based telephone system that can help increase phone capacity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked about recruiting and training additional receptionists but the answer was somewhat general in discussing available funding without specifying recruitment measures or timelines.

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Q2 Gordon Henderson Con
NHS
Context

The question follows from a situation where local constituents face difficulties accessing GP services due to oversubscribed practices.

Question

I can tell the Minister that all GPs in my area are oversubscribed, people find it very difficult to get an appointment, even including virtual appointments. Some patients struggle to speak to a receptionist due to busy phone lines. The NHS plans to upgrade telephone systems but these upgrades will be of no use without additional resources for recruitment and training of receptionists.

Answer from Maria Caulfield

The Secretary of State, through the winter access fund, has provided £250 million for GPs to use in either recruiting more telephone receptionists or building up resources. This includes a cloud-based telephone system that can help increase phone capacity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked about assurances regarding recruitment and training of additional receptionists, but the answer focused on available funding without concrete commitments to hiring and training.

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