Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will encourage NHS England to recruit more GPs for (a) the Borough of Kettering and (b) England.

We have committed to an extra 5,000 doctors in general practice by 2020. NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are working together with the profession to increase the general practitioner (GP) workforce across the country. This involves efforts to boost both recruitment and retention of GPs.

In 2016 HEE recruited the highest number of GP trainees ever, and is working with NHS England on additional measures to encourage GPs to return to practice, and address the reasons why experienced GPs are leaving the profession.

Both Northamptonshire clinical commissioning groups, Nene and Corby, are working with NHS England to address local challenges relating to GP recruitment and retention. For example, GPs in the Nene/Corby area are participating in the local GP Retainer Scheme.