Healthcare Boost in Southport: 71% Increase in GPs Since September 2023

Damien Moore MP welcomes 71% increase in Southport’s GPs since September 2023. 

Local Member of Parliament for Southport, Damien Moore, welcomes the 71% increase in doctors, nurses and other patient care staff working in General Practice in Southport since September 2023. 

Announced by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), 2,000,000 additional GP appointments have been delivered per month to constituents across the UK since September 2023, with more than 25,700,000 appointments (excluding COVID-19 vaccinations) being delivered since December 2023, an increase of 9% above pre-pandemic levels.

2,000,000 additional GP appointments have been delivered per month to constituents across the UK since September 2023, with

As part of the Government’s successful administration of The Primary Care Access Plan (PCAP); launched in May 2023, Southport has received an increase of an additional 67 full-time equivalent (FTE) primary health care specialists, including: GPs, nurses, and direct patient care staff (DPC), since 2023 – demonstrating a local capacity increase of over 71%. 

The PCAP; adopted by 8-10 GP practices nationally, has successfully increased patient processing capacity by enhancing telephone-booking operating systems, further supported by the Government’s ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme launched in January, 2024, with 10,000 pharmacies nationally now capable of treating seven of the most frequent illnesses, including: sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women over the age of 65 – projected to free-up 10,000,000 GP appointments annually.  

Commenting, Member of Parliament for Southport, Damien Moore, said:  

“I welcome the news that both the PCAP and ‘Pharmacies First’ programmes have increased the number of qualified health care professionals across Southport by over 70% since September 2023, increasing healthcare accessibility while reducing patient wait-times. 

“Further supported by the £75 million direct investment into our Care Force Pathway; funding 37,000 Level 2 Adult Social Care (ASC) accredited qualifications, 116,000 ASC training courses and apprenceship, and increasing DHSC retention incentives across the UK, it’s clear that Southport will remain a hub for high quality health, social and respite care.”