Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
14 July 2026
5 contributions
General Practice Partnership Model
We remain absolutely committed to the GP partnership model, which supports continuity of care, efficiency and innovation. Where it is working well, it should of course continue, but what is important is that patients are getting the care they need, regardless of the model. The GP patient survey show…
The Carr-Hill review is ongoing and will be published very soon. On access right across the country, we have invested an extra £1.6 billion in general practice, recruited over 2,000 more GPs and extended online services throughout core hours, helping deliver 12.7 million more appointments compared w…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
14 July 2026
3 contributions
Social Prescribing
The social prescribing service is a vital part of the shift from hospital to community, and from sickness to prevention. We are funding social prescribing link workers in primary care to connect patients with preventive community support, and we are granting £3 million to the National Academy for So…
I am sure that the hon. Lady welcomes the £3 million that we are granting to the National Academy for Social Prescribing. Social prescribing needs to be commissioned locally by integrated care boards, and I am confident that as and when it delivers valuable services, those services will continue to …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
14 July 2026
3 contributions
Access to NHS Dental Services
We are improving access to NHS dentistry with reforms to prioritise those in greatest need and by creating an urgent care safety net throughout the country. I am proud to say that we are on track to deliver 2.5 million additional treatments and that survey data released last week shows that 81% of p…
My hon. Friend is a tireless advocate for his constituents. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning NHS dental services to meet the needs of their local population. Where a dental practice decides to close, NHS England and the relevant ICB work together to ensure that its patients h…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 July 2026
7 contributions
Lobular Breast Cancer: Moon Shot Project
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank the hon. Member for Horsham (John Milne) for securing this vital debate. I also thank the hon. Member for Maidstone and Malling (Helen Grant) for campaigning on this topic, following her own diagnosis of lobular breast cancer.
I …
I think my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) was first.
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 June 2026
4 contributions
National Lung Cancer Screening Programme
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I congratulate the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) on securing this important debate and on his continued and relentless advocacy for people affected by lung cancer. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon…
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. There is a lot more work to be done, and it is a priority for the Government: it is right up there in the 10-year plan and the priorities. As he said in his excellent speech, we need to mobilise every one of the shifts—from analogue to digital, from hospital t…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
8 contributions
Topical Questions
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work she did formerly as a care worker. The Government inherited a social care system in desperate need of reform. We are taking action, including by providing over £4.6 billion of extra funding for adult social care by 2028-29 and developing the first ever fa…
As I said earlier to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), the fundamental long-term reform of the dental contract is vital to incentivising dentists to do NHS dentistry. I am pleased by how we have really put downward pressure on the underspend. As a result of that, we are on track to deliv…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
3 contributions
Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme
This Government are rebuilding England’s broken NHS dentistry system. The dental recruitment incentive scheme encourages dentists to work in underserved areas. Data on the scheme’s effectiveness will be published later this year. We are taking steps to increase the supply of dentists. For example, l…
I thank the hon. Lady for that question, and she is absolutely right to raise the issue of the contract. The fundamental problem is that the units of dental activity system is a contractual system that does not work for NHS dentistry. That is why we had the absurd situation when we came into office …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
3 contributions
Mental Health Facilities: Dorset
For 2026-27, NHS mental health spending is forecast to reach a record £16.1 billion, representing a real-terms increase compared with the previous year. That is supported by £473 million in capital funding over the next four years, including investment in new mental health emergency departments and …
My hon. Friend is right that his constituents will be able to access care at the new facilities in Poole and Bournemouth thanks to the Government’s investment in the new hospitals programme, but there is more to do. We are committed to addressing poor-quality NHS infrastructure and ensuring that fac…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
3 contributions
Primary Care: Non-digital Access
We know that some patients prefer not to use online services. Online tools complement rather than replace existing routes, such as telephone or walk-in access. The GP contract requires online access to be available during core hours, which eases pressure on phone lines and reception staff as non-dig…
I am in violent agreement with the hon. Gentleman, which is quite unusual. We are clear that patients should not be digitally excluded. The contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person. All online tools must always be provided in a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 April 2026
9 contributions
Junior Doctors’ Foundation Programme
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I congratulate and thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) for securing this vital debate, and all the hon. Members who have contributed. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s significant and dis…
The workforce plan will be published this spring, so there is not too long to wait. It has taken a little longer than we initially hoped, but we think it is really important to ensure that it is anchored in very solid engagement with our partners and stakeholders.
Earlier this year, the Government …
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
5 contributions
Topical Questions
I thank my hon. Friend for his question; he is a strong voice for palliative care and for Pembridge hospice in his constituency. Palliative care is vital in our communities, and I completely agree that ICBs, like West London, should engage with their local communities to ensure that they can meet th…
There is absolutely an issue with developers not delivering what they say they are going to deliver either through section 106 or through CIL. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue. I would be more than happy to hear more about th…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
5 contributions
Access to GPs: Bracknell Forest
We promised to improve GP access, and we are delivering. There are 2,000 more GPs than in July 2024—double our manifesto commitment of 1,000. The previous Government planned to increase GP numbers. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs actually fell by 900. We…
My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his constituents. I can absolutely give him that assurance. The GP contract is clear that patients must have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and online tools must be an addition to, rather than a replacement for, other contact …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
5 contributions
NHS Dental Services
Since July 2024, we have been rebuilding a broken NHS dentistry system. We have delivered 1.8 million more treatments and reduced the underspend from £392 million to just £36 million, maximising the treatment provided for taxpayers’ money. Last year, we asked integrated care boards to commission add…
My hon. Friend is a strong campaigner for her constituents. The situation that she sets out is unacceptable, but change is under way. I am encouraged by the latest data for her ICB area, which shows a 79% success rate for those who tried to get an NHS dentist appointment in the past two years, and t…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 March 2026
2 contributions
NHS Continuing Healthcare
It is truly a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris—for now, anyway.
I thank the hon. Member for Birmingham Perry Barr (Ayoub Khan) for securing this important debate, and I express my gratitude to other Members who have contributed to it. By working together, we can improve the lives …
Of course, we want to see consistency and quality right across the board, regardless of who is actually delivering the work. If there are specific issues around private contractors that the hon. Gentleman can flag to me, perhaps he could write to me; we would be very happy to look into them.
We hav…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
31 contributions
GP Contract
When we came into office, we found GP services in an appalling state—underfunded, understaffed and in crisis. Since July 2024, this Government have been fixing the front door to the NHS, investing more than £100 million to fix up GP surgeries this year, making online booking available to patients ac…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for the GP-related questions, for which I was grateful when he finally got to them.
On clinical evidence for advice and guidance, I think that the evidence speaks for itself. We introduced advice and guidance in the last contract with an £80 million investment, and it has…
+29 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Adult Cerebral Palsy: National Service Specification
It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine.
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) for securing this important debate. Many Members in this House speak on issues of importance to their constituents; far fewer bring the depth of personal …
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 March 2026
Healthcare in Rural Areas
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I congratulate the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson) on securing this vital debate. I am also grateful to other hon. Members for making excellent contributions this afternoon.
We know that the NHS faces pressures all over the…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
On the subject of GP access, I am delighted that 75% of patients now say it is easy to contact their GP, which is a sizeable increase of 14 percentage points since July 2024—that is a really positive development that I am sure the hon. Lady welcomes. Turning to planning, it is very important that th…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question, and pay tribute to Vista for the outstanding work it is doing. Improving IT connectivity is a vital part of what we are doing, and the single point of access project is of relevance in that context. I would be more than happy if the hon. Gentleman wrote …
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
3 contributions
Care in the Community
Through our 10-year health plan and the shift from hospital to community, our new neighbourhood health service will benefit millions. It is underpinned by 120 new neighbourhood health centres by 2030, alongside the supercharging of community diagnostic centres, which will deliver faster, more access…
I am not familiar with the details of that case, but if the hon. Lady writes to me I would be more than happy to take the issue up. These matters are determined by the ICBs and trusts, and the Government are not in the business of micromanaging what is happening out there in the field. We believe th…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
2 contributions
NHS Dental Services: Morecambe and Lunesdale
We inherited a broken NHS dental system in which many people were unable to access a dentist when they need one, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency, but we are making real progress, having increased the number of NHS treatments by 1.8 million between April and October 2025 compared with the …
I am sorry to hear about the plight of my hon. Friend’s constituent. I will, of course, be more than happy to meet her and look into the specifics of the case. Specialised dental services have a vital role to play in providing dental treatment to vulnerable people in settings such as care homes. In …
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
6 contributions
Access to NHS Dental Services
We know that dentistry was left in crisis by the Conservatives, but this Government are determined to ensure that everyone can access a dentist when they need one. We have recently broadened access to dental appointments, so that patients who need more serious and ongoing treatment no longer miss ou…
I am very sorry to hear about the plight of my hon. Friend’s constituent, and I would be more than happy to look into the specifics of her case. The sad reality is that after 14 years of Tory neglect and incompetence, we have ended up with a two-tier dentistry system. This Government are determined …
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
10 February 2026
Oak Park Community Clinic
I note that the policy lead for this area is the Minister for Secondary Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol South (Karin Smyth). She is unable to be here today and sends her apologies, but I will report back to her and am sure that she will be more than happy to accept the request for a meet…
Commons
Proceedings
5 February 2026
2 contributions
NHS Dentists
I congratulate the hon. Member for North Down (Alex Easton) on securing this important debate. I thank him for his work to raise awareness of the challenges facing dental patients in his constituency and across the United Kingdom. It is vital that we work together, across the four nations of the Uni…
I congratulate the University of East Anglia on its accreditation through the GDC as a dental school. That is a huge step in the right direction, and we strongly support it. The next step is that the Office for Students has to allocate places. The Government have not funded any new dental school pla…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 January 2026
Dementia Support: Hampshire
I really appreciate serving under your chairship, Ms Lewell—I think it is one of the first times I have done so.
I thank the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Liz Jarvis) for securing this debate; I know that dementia support in Hampshire is a cause that is close to her heart. It is also very close to my …