From September 2018, the number of medical school places will increase by up to a quarter, meaning up to 1,500 more student places a year, the second largest increase in the NHS's history. This will help to bring down the £1.2 billion medical locum bill while also reducing rota gaps and GP shortages.
We must also recognise that one quarter of NHS doctors currently come from overseas and they do a fantastic job. The Government has been clear that EU nationals who are already here should be allowed to stay post-Brexit.
Although, it is neither justifiable nor sustainable to carry on raiding these countries in order to meet our own growing needs. Our dependency on immigration will be replaced by home grown talent and I am confident that the NHS will be self-sufficient in staff by the end of the next parliament.
But while increases in GP numbers nationally are, without doubt, needed, we must do more to make Tendring an attractive place for them to live – my conversations with local healthcare leaders have shown me that, when GPs are available, they do not wish to move to our area.
So, I will be pushing to improve our transport links and our housing stock, to make Tendring a more attractive place to live and work from.
