MP to meet Health Minister over call for more consulting rooms for Leighton Buzzard GPs and nurses

Additional consulting rooms for GPs and nurses in Leighton Buzzard are urgently needed, according to South West Beds MP Andrew Selous.

He says some of the ‘spaces’ used by GPs and nurses to see patients are deemed unacceptable by the Care Quality Commission – and raised the issue in Parliament earlier today (Wednesday).

The debate secured a meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with the backing of Rishi Sunak during Prime Ministers Questions.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Selous stated: “GP surgeries promised in planning applications take far too long to be built. Can we clear away the obstacles and make it easier for our amazing family doctors to use additional consulting rooms that they are happy with elsewhere in the community, so that GPs, and the many extra prescribing nurses they are now employing, can see more patients now while they wait for bespoke premises to be built?”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said: “I thank my hon. Friend, who speaks from a point of authority. He knows that we have high standards to ensure that GPs provide services from premises that meet all the required criteria, but I understand it is possible for those services to be provided at alternative locations that meet the contract requirements.

"I will happily ensure that the Health and Social Care Secretary looks into his suggestions about more flexibility. He will also welcome our recent plans to expand the range of services available at pharmacies, saving many people time and hassle to get treatment for seven common ailments at their local pharmacist, easing the pressure on our GPs and speeding up the care that people deserve.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Selous said: “I had a long conversation with some of our senior local GPs who I greatly respect last Friday and urgently getting more consulting room space was their top priority. I have been frustrated in previous months that space which the GPs would have been happy to see patients in was not deemed to be acceptable by the Care Quality Commission. This is bizarre because there are existing GP premises which do not meet the current specifications which are currently in use.

“I also discussed what we can do to make sure that GP trainees give some time to the NHS once they have finished their training as training them takes up a lot of experienced GP time.

“My constituents continue to tell me that being able to get in to see a GP or practice nurse easily is one of the very top priorities, which is why I will keep fighting for them on this issue.”