PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(6 February 2025)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26149 on General Practitioners, what discussions his Department has had with the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board on GP provision.

Asked by:
Blake Stephenson (Conservative)

We know that patients are struggling to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to improving GP provision across the country, including in the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB) area.

In October 2024, we provided an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, enabling the recruitment of 1,000 newly qualified GPs across England. This will both increase the number of GPs employed and the number of appointments delivered in general practice, benefitting thousands of patients that are struggling to receive the care they desperately deserve. This will also help secure the future supply of GPs and take pressure off the existing workforce. Additionally, we have announced a proposed £889 million uplift to the GP contract for 2025/26, with a rising share of total National Health Service resources going to general practice. We are currently consulting the profession on key proposals to improve access, continuity of care and GP recruitment.

The NHS Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes ICB delivered 496,000 appointments in December 2024. Comparatively, in December 2023, 423,000 appointment were delivered. This is a 17.25% increase in appointments delivered over the last year. Additionally, the ICB also saw an increase of 8.3 full-time equivalent GPs in the last year.

Integrated care boards are responsible for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible, including evaluating population needs and planning provision for GP services.

Answered by:
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