Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Primary Care Staff Numbers

Tuesday 7 March 2023 · 7 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Since March 2019, over 25,000 primary care staff have been recruited, including pharmacists, physiotherapists, and mental health practitioners.
  • A review of the 111 service has been commissioned to better direct people to different healthcare professionals and promote the primary care team.
  • There are 2,200 more doctors in general practice now compared to before the pandemic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robert Courts Con
NHS
Context

The question follows a general query about progress made by the Department in increasing primary care staff numbers.

Question

What progress has the Department made on increasing the number of primary care staff?

Answer from Steve Barclay

Since March 2019, GPs have recruited over 25,000 staff such as pharmacists, physiotherapists and mental health practitioners, and we are on track to hit our 26,000 additional staff commitment.

Answered
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Q2 Kieran Mullan Con Bexhill and Battle
NHS
Context

The question stems from a supplementary query about the confidence of patients in using the wider healthcare team available in primary care, specifically regarding the effectiveness of the NHS's 111 service.

Question

Can we ensure that 111 is set up to direct people to different professionals and promote and educate the public on how fantastic that wider healthcare team is in primary care?

Answer from Steve Barclay

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, which is why I commissioned through NHS England a review of 111. It was initially designed for a different purpose. That allows the GP service to be the front door it has become in the NHS. Through the chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital, we have done significant work on the NHS app, so it can better enable patients to get to the right place for the care they need.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about promoting and educating the public was not addressed directly; only mentions review of 111 and NHS app work.

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Q3 Layla Moran Lib Dem Oxford West and Abingdon
NHS
Context

The question is raised regarding the recruitment challenges faced by GP practices in Oxfordshire, where over 45,000 people waited more than two weeks to see their GP and 12,000 waited over a month.

Question

Will the Secretary of State consider introducing a weighting for GPs in areas of high cost of living outside London? Will he meet me to discuss the specific issues in Oxfordshire?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The hon. Member is right to highlight the pressure on primary care, which is why, in the answer I gave a moment ago, I said it is also about looking at the wider skills mix within primary care. She mentions doctors specifically. We have 2,200 more doctors in general practice than before the pandemic. It is about having the right skills mix alongside the doctors to meet the significant increased demand since the pandemic.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No commitment given on introducing weighting for GPs or meeting with MP to discuss Oxfordshire issues.

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Q4 Robert Courts Con
NHS
Context

The question addresses the demand for GP appointments in Oxfordshire, suggesting a need to shift focus from treating acute symptoms to managing long-term conditions at an earlier stage.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend consider what can be done to rebalance the system so that more is done to ensure people are treated at the primary and community level?

Answer from Steve Barclay

My hon. Friend highlights an absolutely brilliant point, one I am extremely seized of, which is: how do we get detection much sooner, looking at genomics, screening and identifying issues before the patient is even necessarily aware that they have a condition. Early care delivers far better patient outcomes but it is also far cheaper to deliver. That prevention, as he highlights, is extremely important.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific plans or timelines mentioned; response focuses on importance of early detection and prevention.

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Q5 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
NHS
Context

The question revolves around a cross-party solution to build a new super health hub, the Cavell centre, which was initially proposed with £41 million funding by the government but later withdrawn.

Question

Will the Secretary of State look at Devon's ICB and whether he could put pressure on that ICB to fund the pioneering project to improve healthcare in Plymouth?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The hon. Gentleman reasonably highlights that the commissioning is a decision for the ICB, but also rightly draws attention to the opportunity to look at different models, for example, how we look across communities at economies of scale, and how we combine that with modern methods of construction to deliver projects far more quickly. I am happy to look, with Devon ICB, at the issue he raises.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct commitment on putting pressure on ICB for funding; rather suggests looking at different models and opportunities.

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Q6 Theresa Villiers Con
NHS Taxation
Context

The question is about the tax implications for GPs, specifically regarding early retirement due to pension taxation issues.

Question

Can I appeal to the Secretary of State to fix the problem with the taxation of GPs' pensions, which is forcing many into early retirement just when we need their services the most?

Answer from Steve Barclay

My right hon. Friend is a very experienced parliamentarian and will know that issues of tax are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, but I draw her attention to “Our plan for patients”, which sets out a package of NHS pension scheme measures.

Not addressed: Redirects responsibility for taxation issues to the Chancellor without addressing GPs' pensions directly.

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Q7 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
NHS
Context

The question addresses the absence of NHS dentists, creating a desert where constituents cannot receive necessary dental care.

Question

What is the Secretary of State going to do for my constituents so that their oral health needs are addressed?

Answer from Steve Barclay

We will set out to the House in due course a recovery plan to deal in particular with primary care but also dentistry. We recognise that, notwithstanding the fiscal support that was offered to protect dentistry through the pandemic, it is an area of acute interest across the House. The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Neil O'Brien), will be saying more on that very shortly.

Not addressed: No specific action plan or timeline given; defers to a recovery plan set out in future communications.

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