Health minister Stephen Kinnock has sidestepped a request to meet with Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Patrick Spencer about expediting plans to expand primary care services in north Ipswich and surrounding villages.
The big picture: The exchange took place during a House of Commons debate on Access to Primary Care on 15 October 2024.
It follows the decision by Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board and Ipswich Borough Council to scrap plans to build a new 'super surgery' in north Ipswich due to "rising costs".
Why it matters: This setback comes amid ongoing concerns about primary care provision in northwest Ipswich.
Residents in north Ipswich and nearby villages have been waiting since 2021 for replacements to closed surgeries, with some forced to use Needham Market surgery while awaiting expanded local facilities.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Medical Practice, formed in 2021 by merging three surgeries, has faced persistent issues since its inception and is currently rated as Ipswich's worst GP practice, affecting around 30,000 patients.
The details:
Spencer raised concerns about the scrapping of a planned "super-surgery" by the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board and Ipswich Borough Council.
He highlighted that constituents have been waiting since 2021 for replacements to closed surgeries in Bramford, Claydon and Great Blakenham.
Spencer requested a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss expediting plans to expand primary care in the area.
Kinnock, Minister of State for Health and Social Care, did not directly address the meeting request.
What they're saying:
During the debate, Spencer asked Stephen Kinnock Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care): "Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can expedite plans to expand primary care in north Ipswich and the surrounding villages?"
Kinnock sidestepped the request, responding: "I strongly encourage his constituents to get actively involved in the 10-year plan that we will launch. There will be an important national engagement exercise on shifting from hospital to community, from sickness to prevention and from analogue to digital, because given the total and utter chaos that we inherited, we need systemic reform."
Putting politics before people: In the same debate, Kinnock was happy to accept requests to meet or discuss issues from four other MPs, deciding to side-step only the meeting request from the Conservative Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Patrick Spencer:
Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham)
Katrina Murray (Labour MP for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch)
Catherine Atkinson (Labour MP for Derby North)
Kieran Mullan (Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle)
What's next: It remains unclear whether Spencer will secure a meeting with health ministers to discuss local GP expansion plans. Residents are encouraged to participate in the upcoming national engagement exercise on healthcare reform while continuing to apply pressure on their MPs to fight for change.
