PLANS which have seen new GPs employed across Lichfield and Burntwood have been welcomed by a local MP.
The Government has confirmed that 28 new doctors have been recruited in Staffordshire as part of plans to boost the number of appointments.
A number of the new GPs will take up roles in Lichfield and Burntwood and will be part of 1,500 added to the ranks across the country.
Lichfield MP Dave Robertson said:
“Everyone knows how difficult it can be to get a GP appointment at times – and we all know that without that appointment it’s impossible to get any type of treatment.
“GPs really are the front door to our NHS and without getting GP services right, we won’t be able to keep driving down waiting lists.
“I’m chuffed to bits that we’ve now got two extra GPs working in Burntwood, two in Lichfield and three in East Staffordshire, including the northern part of Lichfield constituency.
“That means thousands more appointments every single year. This job isn’t done though, I’ll be continuing to work with the Government for even more improvements to healthcare in Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages in the coming months.”
The Government said it had removed red tape which it said was preventing surgeries from hiring.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“We inherited a ludicrous situation where patients couldn’t get a GP appointment, while GPs couldn’t get a job.
“By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have put an extra 1,503 GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments.
“The extra investment and reforms we have made will allow patients to book appointments more easily to help bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble.
“It is only because of the necessary decisions we took to increase employer National Insurance that we are able to recruit more GPs and deliver better services for patients.
“The extra investment and reform this Government is making, as part of its Plan for Change, will get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future”
