Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP retention rates in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock.

Data on general practice joiner and leaver rates is only available centrally at the level of integrated care boards (ICBs).

Between December 2024 and December 2025, 42 fully qualified general practitioners (GPs), or 6.7%, in the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB left practice. The figure was 49, or 7.7%, when including GPs who moved to a practice elsewhere in the country.

The data is not comparable with the national average because of the inclusion of movers between ICBs, which are not captured in the national figure.

Our commitment to growing the GP workforce includes addressing the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encouraging them to return to practice. Retention efforts in general practice focus on addressing workload pressures, offering career development opportunities, providing flexible working opportunities, and implementing supportive policies.