North Warwickshire and Bedworth’s MP Craig Tracey has called for the Government to do all it can to ensure Doctor’s surgeries receive the support they need to help to reduce winter pressures being faced by A&E services.
Unprecedented demand on A&E and hospitals this winter has led to pressure on the NHS with emergency funds being granted from the Government to hospitals, including an additional £1,420,890 to the George Eliot Hospital.
In Parliament Craig Tracey stated:
“Given the challenges NHS services regularly face during the winter, and the excellent cost-effective contribution that local GP surgeries can make in easing pressure at accident and emergency departments in particular, may we have an urgent debate on the support the Government can give to ensure that GPs surgeries are fully equipped to give the required primary care?”
Responding on behalf of the Government, Paul Maynard said:
“My honourable friend makes an important point about how we need to ensure that we manage rising demand, with 2.9 million more attendances at A&E since 2010. Clearly, we have a dynamically changing healthcare demand pattern, so it is important that we do all we can in our local communities to manage that demand better. GPs have a key role to play in that, and he makes an important point that I hope can be added to further in this Chamber.”
The local MP’s question follows a recent meeting he held with the Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Helen Stokes-Lampard to discussing the cost of missed GP appointments, how online systems and technologies can support local surgeries and patients. Currently 1 million patients receive GP care every single day.