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General Practice (Northamptonshire)

I am sure that you have had a busy and productive morning, Mr. Taylor, but I suggest that this debate will be the highlight of your entertaining morning. I thank Mr. Speaker for granting me permission to hold the debate, and I also thank general practitioners throughout Northamptonshire and all their staff for the wonderful job that they do for people in Kettering and across the county. One of my reasons for seeking today's debate is that when we talk about the national health service, all too often we talk about hospitals and do not spend enough time talking about GPs. Yet most people's most frequent contact with the NHS is through their local family doctor. Having talked to GPs in Northamptonshire, I know that their impression is that they are an overlooked part of the NHS. When the Government talk about schools and hospitals, they should not forget that GPs provide an extremely important part of our NHS.