Rishi Sunak laughed at a joke about GPs after a doctor shouted at him about the state of the NHS.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a rally in Wiltshire on Friday when the woman – believed to be Dr Jane Lees-Millais – began questioning government policies which see patients being sent to other primary care providers, rather than general practitioners.
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A GP herself, Dr Millais said the NHS was “crumbling apart”, adding: “The country is not stupid. They know when less qualified people are being used to carry out extremely complex consultations.”
But when she was questioned by a man who shouted: “Most GPs spend more time on holiday than in surgery, love”, Sunak laughed.
The second questioner was heard again, adding: “You can’t make an appointment, can you?”
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Responding to the doctor, the prime minister highlighted that his father was a family doctor and his mother was a pharmacist, adding: “My parents were dedicated to primary care.
He said the government was “supporting” GPs, mentioning money being invested in new digital phones, before continuing: “We are also making it easier for people to see other primary care professionals to get the treatments they need and that’s where I respectfully disagree. like you.
“Because I think it’s right that people can now see their pharmacist to get medicines for a number of common illnesses.”
The incident comes after a difficult day for the prime minister, who faces criticism from all sides for leaving D-Day celebrations in France on Thursday morning to give a TV interview in the UK.
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