Henry Smith MP has welcomed news that there are 48 more doctors, nurses and other patient care staff working in general practice in Crawley: an increase of 40 per cent.

This includes roles such as dispensers, health care assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, therapists and others.

Henry said;

“Key to ensuring patients get the care and support they need is investing in the NHS workforce.

“I welcome confirmation that there are 48 more doctors, nurses and other patient care staff now in general practice in Crawley compared to three years ago.

“This news follows Crawley confirmed as the location of a new Community Diagnostic Centre, the inclusion of Sussex in the Government’s Discharge Frontrunners initiative to free up hospital beds, and £1 million secured for mental health services at Langley Green Hospital.

“Ensuring this Government’s record funding for the NHS gets to where it is needed is a cause I’ll continue to pursue.”

There are an estimated 23,000 more patient care staff working in general practice in constituencies across England than in 2019.

The release of these figures follows recent announcements of:

• Crawley approved as the location of one of 19 new Community Diagnostic Centres, which will see patients benefit from quicker access to treatment and lifesaving diagnostic tests close to home
• Confirmation of Sussex in the Government’s Discharge Frontrunners programme to lead the way in exploring new long-term initiatives to free up hospital beds
• Improvements of over £1 million for Langley Green Hospital secured to enhance mental health crisis services

The Department of Health & Social Care has released general practice clinical staff figures broken down by parliamentary constituency.

The Plan for Patients set out the Government’s commitment to improving general practice and using transparent data to inform and empower patients. A modelling approach has enabled estimates of staff at the level of parliamentary constituencies to be given for the first time.

Data published by the Government shows the number of Full Time Equivalent doctors, nurses and other direct patient care staff in general practice in September 2019 and September 2022, and the change over that period, for every parliamentary constituency in England.