More GP and dentist appointments

Seeing a GP should be easy, but for lots of people locally it hasn’t felt that way since the pandemic - and the same goes for seeing an NHS dentist.

That’s why I’m teaming up with our local GPs, dentists and pharmacies to help increase the number of appointments locally, backed up by exciting government reforms. 

GPs are working harder than ever at the moment - delivering 10% more appointments than before the pandemic - and if we want to increase capacity further, we've got to change the way we do things.

That's why earlier this year we launched the Primary Care Recovery Plan. It's modernising the way we do primary care, with new tech, less bureaucracy, and a bigger role for community pharmacists - including allowing them for the first time ever to prescribe some medicines. 

It's going to be followed soon by the Dental Recovery Plan, setting out similar steps to make sure people can access the dental care they need in future.

As these are rolled out I'm going to be meeting pharmacists, our local NHS, and GPs themselves to discuss how these changes are going, what I can do to help, and where local people have concerns. Click on the links below to find out what I've been up to.

And finally, if you've been struggling to see your local GP, or have an issue with an NHS dentist - please do let me know. While I might not be able to solve it overnight, the data on where the issues are is going to be a huge help as we work on this.

News

Joining forces for a new Teynham GP Surgery

Teynham has been without a GP Surgery for nearly two years, forcing people to travel to Sittingbourne or Faversham to see a doctor. I’m working with local councillors Julian Speed and Lloyd Bowen and GP Dr Nilan to find a way to get Teynham back its GP.

Getting people the care they need locally

The faster you can get the care you need, the better health you’ll be in. This simple but powerful idea is at the centre of everything I’m working on as a Health Minister at the moment to reform our health and social care system. By bringing care closer to home and identifying conditions when they

Let's get Kent a Dental School

People locally are finding it too hard to see an NHS dentist at the moment. That's why I've teamed up with 14 Kent MPs to call for the creation of a Kent and Medway Dental School. We know that healthcare professionals often stay working where they train, and in our letter to Dental Minister Andrea

Exciting new eye treatments in Faversham

On Friday I had the huge pleasure of attending the opening of new eye services at Faversham Medical Practice.  The new ophthalmic equipment which will mean patients can now access things like cataract surgery, injections for Wet AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) and minor eye operations l

More services from your local pharmacy

Pharmacies play a huge role in our local communities. They're often the first place we go when we're ill or need advice, and one of the most best things about them is that they're there when we need them.

Faster health checks for East Kent

Early diagnoses save lives. I've seen it time and again as a health minister, that catching diseases like cancer at their early stages means a huge boost to people's survival chances. That's why it's great to hear that a new Community Diagnostic Centre is going to open in Thanet.

Delivering 15 million more GP appointments

Seeing a GP should be easy, but for lots of people locally it hasn’t felt that way since the pandemic. Thankfully plans announced today by the Government are set to change that.

Cash boost to get people home from hospital

After a stay in hospital, people should be recovering in the best place for them. Very often that’s at home or in residential care, but sometimes patients can end up waiting for care to become available. That's not good for them, and it's not good for our hospitals either.