Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the number of GPs employed full-time.

The National Health Service does not employ general practitioners (GPs) directly. GPs either work as, or are employed by independent contractors who hold contracts with NHS England to provide primary healthcare services for the National Health Service and it is for them to determine the hours worked by GPs.

There are already 1,677 more full-time equivalent GPs working and training in the NHS than in September 2010. Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for delivering a better health and healthcare workforce for England and for ensuring a secure future supply. HEE has plans in place to increase the number of GP training places to 3,250 each year from 2016. We have also committed to make available 5,000 more GPs by 2020.