§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the balance between supply and demand of GPs in the National Health Service in the next three years. [45478]
§ Mr. MilburnWe are advised on these matters by the Specialty Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG). SWAG balances a range of factors in considering the numbers of doctors in training to meet future requirements, including the overall supply of junior doctors and healthcare needs across the whole of the National Health Service.
§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he proposes to take to encourage the recruitment of GPs to the NHS. [45479]
§ Mr. MilburnMeasures have been put in place to encourage the recruitment of general practitioners to the National Health Service.
These include changes to the out-of-hours arrangements for GPs which impact on the quality of their working life, making it easier for them to combine work and family life.
Flexible employment opportunities such as the salaried GP scheme and an improved retainer scheme to encourage GPs to return after career breaks have been introduced. These are especially important given the numbers of women entering general practice and the need to provide alternatives to the independent contractor GP model of employment.
The introduction of Primary Care Act (Personal Medical Services) Pilots and flexibilities to the national GP contract given GPs scope to shape the range of services they provide and increase the attractiveness of general practice as a career choice.