General Practitioners
Commons · Question 121261 · Tabled 16 Mar 2026 · Department of Health and Social Care · Official record
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by James McMurdock
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of levels of access to GP appointments in influencing patients’ decisions to attend accident and emergency departments for non-emergency conditions.
Answer
Answered by Stephen Kinnock, 30 Mar 2026
National Health Service guidance is clear that patients should only attend accident and emergency (A&E) for emergencies that cannot be dealt with by a patient’s general practice (GP), NHS 111, or walk-in centres. GPs are independent contractors to t...