The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 20th June 2023:
The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government, further to The Hewitt Review: an independent review of integrated care systems, published on 4 April, what plans they have to implement the recommendation contained in that review to publish a strategy for the social care workforce.
Lord Markham (Con): Local Government has a key role to play in supporting recruitment and retention in their areas, utilising their oversight of local systems to identify workforce shortages and develop workforce plans. A new duty on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) means that the CQC will now be considering if local authorities understand their current and future workforce needs and if councils are working in partnership with providers to develop, support and promote capable and effective care workforces.
In April 2023, the Government published ‘Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care’, reiterating our strategy for the social care workforce, and detailing investment of at least £250 million in the adult social care workforce over the next two years.
The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any inequality of access to primary care.
Lord Markham: No assessment has been made. NHS England has a statutory responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of all patients and in all parts of the country.
The Government wants everyone to be able to access primary care when they need to and reducing inequalities in access to general practice services is a priority for the National Health Service. The Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, states the implementation of a new Modern general practice access model, which will make it easier for everyone to contact their practice and it will make sure arrangements for care happen on the same day. This will ensure we move away from a ‘first come, first served’ approach towards a more equitable one that benefits all patients, regardless of their chosen route of access.
The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that patients are not digitally excluded from making choices about their care as the Patient Access Plan is rolled out.
Lord Markham (Con): The Government wants to make it easier and quicker for everyone to get the help they need from primary care and reduce digital inequalities when they access care. The Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care, published on 9 May 2023, describes the implementation of a new Modern general practice access model, which will make it easier for everyone to contact their practice and it will make sure arrangements for care happen on the same day. This will ensure we move away from a ‘first come, first served’ approach towards a more equitable one that benefits all patients, regardless of their chosen route of access.
To combat digital exclusion, the public need to know that the new access model combines the flexible use of telephone, digital and in person access choices for patients. That is why the delivery plan includes a major national communications campaign to explain the evolving nature of primary care how best the public can use the National Health Service. The plan commits £240 million of re-targeted funding for better digital tools and training, which will improve digital access routes, freeing up capacity for those patients who still want or need to contact their practice by telephone or in person.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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