Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, has told Health ministers that the Government commit to traditional family doctors and resist the commercialisation of GP surgeries.

Speaking at Health Questions in the House of Commons, the MP that a constituent's relative had great difficulties in obtaining a face-to-face appointment with her GP at a surgery run by an American company which now covers 600,000 patients.

"Will the Government insist that we are fully committed to the traditional approach of a committed and caring family doctor seeing patients face to face," Sir Edward asked, "and that we will not allow GP surgeries to be fully commercialised?"

Health Secretary Steve Barclay MP admitted Sir Edward raised an "important" point and said that "in the Lincolnshire integrated care system, 71.9% of appointments were face to face in September 2022".