Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in general practice in (a) Mid Sussex constituency, (b) West Sussex and (c) England.

The General Practice Forward View set out a package of investment in general practice, including reforms to increase capacity, such as recruitment and retention initiatives, extended access and the Time for Care programme.

By 2020, the Government has committed to 5,000 additional doctors in general practice and 5,000 other staff in general practice; and by March 2019 everyone having improved access to general practitioner (GP) services, including sufficient routine appointments at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand.

In West Sussex and Mid Sussex, the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have opened GP access hubs in East Grinstead, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Crawley and Horsham to provide additional appointments in primary care.

Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG is exploring alternative skill mix in primary care to deliver additional capacity and are piloting paramedic practitioners in each town from January 2018. It has also applied to be part of a national programme for international recruitment of GPs.