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Written question asked by Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 2 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Stephen Kinnock (Labour) on Thursday, 2 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

General Practitioners: Tunbridge Wells

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to GP services in the Tunbridge Wells constituency.

Answer

We are increasing general practice (GP) capacity and funding to improve access. The Department has not held discussions with the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. It is for the relevant commissioner to ensure that appropriate provision is in place locally.

We are investing an additional £601 million in GPs in 2026/27, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to approximately £14 billion. This builds on the £1.1 billion increase in 2025/26, the largest uplift in over a decade. Since October 2024, £160 million has supported over 2,000 more GPs in primary care networks across England. Additionally, the 2026/27 contract also introduces a practice-level GP reimbursement scheme, backed by £292 million, to help practices recruit more GPs or expand sessions.

Tunbridge Wells sits within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. 9,000 more GP appointments were delivered in the 12 months to May 2026 compared to the year previous. Additionally, the 2025 General Practice Patient Survey found that 70% of patients rated their overall experience of their practice as “good” in 2025, an increase of 5% since 2023. Further information on specific GP appointment data by individual practice is available in the table attached.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
14148
Session
2026-27
Attachment
Additional Document
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
General practitioners Tunbridge Wells
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk