Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that new neighbourhood health centres will be led by trusted local GPs.

General practice (GP) is the cornerstone of the Neighbourhood Health Service. GPs have a deep understanding and experience of their local population needs and a key role to play in maintaining the health and wellbeing of their neighbourhoods.

We will encourage GPs to work over larger geographies by leading new neighbourhood providers. These providers will convene teams of skilled professionals, to provide truly personalised care for groups of people with similar needs.

These teams of professionals and partners, nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, employment support, children’s services, and more, will work together to support people and places to improve their health and wellbeing.

We also envisage GPs playing an important role in supporting the shift of more planned care out of hospital, for example through working directly with consultants to support people with complex conditions closer to home, without the need for a hospital referral.