There are an estimated 23,000 more patient care staff working in general practice in constituencies across England than in 2019, and Michael Gove, MP for Surrey Heath, has welcomed news that there are 50% more doctors, nurses and other patient care staff working in general practice in Surrey Heath. This includes roles such as dispensers, health care assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, therapists and others.
Michael said:
“I am absolutely delighted that we have more patient care staff for Surrey Heath, and I most grateful to the Department of Health and Social Care for providing this information, which is very encouraging.”
The data is available via GOV.UK and is given for each constituency in September 2019 and September 2022, and includes the change over this period. It includes Full Time Equivalents (FTE) modelled estimates for general practice doctors and nurses plus other direct patient care staff. The methodology can be found here.
As laid out in the Government’s Plan for Patients in September 2022, good primary care is the foundation of an effective health system for patients and is the way that most people experience the NHS. Improving general practice supports the early identification of serious illnesses and the management of chronic conditions, while also helping people to live healthier lives. Getting patients in to see their GP, practice nurse or other clinical professional is at the heart of this plan.
The Plan for Patients sets out the government’s commitment to improving general practice and using transparent data to inform and empower patients. A modelling approach has enabled estimates of staff at the level of parliamentary constituencies to be given for the first time.
