The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 30th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many days is a GP on site on the Bibby Stockholm each week; and whether they have plans to review this level of provision.
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.
This team provides care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).
Medical provision includes:
- a qualified senior health professional, such as an advanced nurse practitioner or a paramedic on site 5 days per week – 9am-5pm
- a GP onsite (one day per week) 9am-5pm
- remote access to GP consultations when onsite care is unavailable or needs additional support
- access to translation services is in place and this has been shared with local services
- any prescribed medicines will be transported to the vessel for the asylum seekers
The Church of England in Parliament 
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