Access to GPs Bracknell Forest
2026-04-14
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP noted issues faced by residents in Bracknell Forest regarding GP access and declared his brother as a GP.
What steps are being taken to improve levels of access to GPs in Bracknell Forest? Many residents find the best way to contact their GP is online or by phone, but others want to book an appointment in person. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the new GP contract guarantees patients can choose how they contact their GP?
Patients must have the option to telephone or visit their practice in person. Online tools are an addition, not a replacement for other methods. Expanding online access has reduced pressure on phone lines and ended the 8 am scramble.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP reported a health survey showing difficulty in accessing GP appointments due to recent massive house building without adequate GP facilities.
Will the Minister support the Liberal Democrat plan requiring all new housing developments to have GP facilities ready before residents move in?
The primary care utilisation and modernisation fund has £102 million to develop estate capacity, and 120 neighbourhood health centres are planned by end of Parliament. The MP should discuss this issue with their ICB for resolution.
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Assessment & feedback
Does not confirm backing the Lib Dem plan explicitly
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP questioned the new GP contract requiring referrals through a single point of access.
Under the new contract, will every clinically necessary referral be reviewed explicitly by a specialist consultant before being rejected or redirected?
We are investing in GPs and getting patients cared for appropriately through Advice and Guidance, which is now embedded into the core contract with predictable funding. We aim to move care from hospital into community settings.
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Assessment & feedback
Does not confirm or deny explicit review by specialist consultants
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP highlighted concerns about patients being blocked from seeing specialists due to the new GP contract.
Does this mean that patients will be blocked from seeing specialists, potentially assessed by non-doctors, with a target of 25% referrals rejected?
We have invested £80 million in Advice and Guidance which has diverted over 1.1 million requests from waiting lists, improving patient care by moving it into community settings rather than hospitals.
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Assessment & feedback
Does not confirm or deny blocking specialist access directly
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP criticized the government's approach as focusing on massaging waiting lists rather than improving healthcare.
Isn't this about massaging waiting lists, not improving healthcare? Patients never appear on a waiting list under new rules.
We have embedded Advice and Guidance into contracts, providing predictable funding. This strategy moves care from hospitals to community settings, improving overall care delivery.
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Assessment & feedback
Does not address waiting list manipulation directly
Response accuracy