Leighton Buzzard MP alerts Prime Minister to the need for GP capacity to keep pace with housing growth

Leighton Buzzard's MP has vowed to keep campaigning on the need to ensure increased general practice capacity is automatically provided alongside major new housing developments.

At the first Prime Minister‘s Questions of the New Year, South West Bedfordshire MP, Andrew Selous, raised the matter with Boris Johnson having previously brought it to the attention of government ministers.

There are around 8,000 new homes being built to the north of Houghton Regis and 6,000 new homes being built to the east of Leighton Buzzard but GP capacity locally is not keeping pace with the needs these new residents are placing on existing surgeries, says Mr Selous.

Mr Selous told the PM: "Can we remedy the current flawed budgetary process whereby it is possible to build 14,000 new homes in my constituency without any commensurate increase in general practice capacity? As we house the next generation, we must make sure that the infrastructure goes in at the same time."

The Prime Minister replied: "Yes. I thank my hon. Friend, and he is completely right: we cannot build new homes without putting in the infrastructure to go with it. That is why we have a colossal programme of infrastructure investment - the biggest for a century. That is why we are not only investing in more GPs but investing another £250 million into more GP practices."

Speaking afterwards, Mr Selous said: “I have raised this matter repeatedly with health ministers and with treasury ministers, I have now done so with the Prime Minister because the current budget allocation process is broken and we need to do better. I will keep campaigning on this issue until we have a commensurate increase in general practice capacity locally to match the new residents living in the area.”

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