#GPnews: General practice ‘underinvestment’ is fuelling emergency demand, says Jeremy Hunt

16:40 Later on in the Health Committee meeting, Mr Hunt was also put on the spot by MPs about pressures on general practice prompting an LMC motion about leaving the NHS.

To which the health secretary responded that GPs have to deliver what is in their contracts with the Government.

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14:50 Health secretary Jeremy Hunt is currently facing a grilling from the House of Commons Health Committee.

So far he has admitted that the Government has failed on long term workforce planning – although he claimed he had made progress on this in the past couple of years.

He also said growing demand on emergency services was related to ‘underinvesting’ in general practice.

11:50 The eighth Brighton GP practice to close in two years is open for its last day today. The Ridgeway Surgery in Woodingdean is closing because of workforce issues, as previously reported by Pulse.

Brghton and Hove Healthwatch chief executive David Liley told The Argus that it had been assured the 2,270 patients would be able to re-register at other local practices, but added: ‘they might not have much choice about where they can register’.

He said that in ‘a city where many practices have had to accept patients from the eight practices that have closed in the last two years that is only to be expected’.

‘The continuing concern must be for GP sustainability in the city.’

09:45 An investigation has revealed that the NHS was forced to spend nearly £100m on midwife replacement staff last year, reports the Times.

According to the Royal College of Midwives, the same amount of money (£97m) could have paid for 4,391 newly qualified midwives or 2,731 more experienced staff.