Valerie raises the shortfall of GPs within the NHS

On Tuesday 24 February 2015 at Health Question, Valerie raised the shortfall in the number of GPs in the NHS.

Valerie asked:

“On what is his last outing, will the Minister tell us how many GPs, in addition to those who have retired, have left the profession and how many have gone to work abroad?”

The Minister replied:

“It has always been the case — it was certainly the case among many of my medical contemporaries — that many people from our NHS go and work overseas for some time. They often come back to the NHS, bringing broader experience and skills. As I outlined earlier, there are now 1,000 more GPs working and training in our NHS than there were five years ago.”

Valerie said:

“The Minister could not answer my question. It shows the that the Department of Health does not have the basic infomation to plan for the future.”