Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

GPs: Time with Patients

Tuesday 6 May 2025 · 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

  • Ministerial investment of 100 million aims to increase capacity and improve access in GP surgeries and consulting rooms.
  • Rebecca Smith highlighted a business initiative by Dr Toby Nelson that uses smartphone technology for skin health screening.
  • The Minister expressed interest in the digital aspects of Dr Nelson's initiative, aligning with the NHS's commitment to shift towards community and digital care.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alex Ballinger Lab Halesowen
NHS
Context

The MP's constituents are facing difficulties in obtaining same-day GP appointments despite calling early in the morning. This has led to frustration among local residents.

Question

My constituents in Halesowen have written to me time and again complaining that they are calling their GP surgeries at 8 am, as instructed, but are still unable to get a same-day appointment. Can the Minister set out how the £100 million investment in GP surgeries, consulting rooms and other facilities will finally put an end to the frustrating 8 am scramble?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

I absolutely share the frustrations of my hon. Friend and his constituents. The investment made today was in response to GPs telling us that they needed more space; the investment will lead to more capacity and better access and outcomes for his constituents. Today’s announcement was only possible thanks to the decisions made in the October Budget, which were opposed by every party opposite. The choice is clear: investment in our NHS with Labour, or cuts with the Tories and Reform.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on how the £100 million will alleviate same-day appointment issues were not provided.

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Q2 Rebecca Smith Con South West Devon
NHS
Context

The MP raises an innovative digital solution proposed by Dr Toby Nelson, a consultant dermatologist, to address the heavy demand on primary care for skin health screening.

Question

My constituent Dr Toby Nelson, an NHS consultant dermatologist, has started a business that seeks to address the heavy demand on primary care for skin health screening. His business Map My Mole sends an image capture kit to patients to attach to their smartphones. The patients then send a high-resolution image remotely to be reviewed by a specialist consultant, bypassing the need for a GP appointment and freeing up time and resources for both doctor and patient. It has already resulted in a significant drop in skin cancer referrals in pilot GP surgeries. Will the Minister agree to meet Dr Nelson and me to discuss this revolutionary proposal?

Answer from The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)

The hon. Lady raises what sounds like an extremely interesting scheme. She will know that we have a strong commitment in our 10-year plan to shift from hospital to community, and indeed from analogue to digital. The digital aspects of that scheme sound very interesting, so I would be more than happy to take further representations from her.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on meeting Dr Nelson were not committed to explicitly.

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