James Sunderland MP has backed a campaign to ensure more local access to GP surgeries and other healthcare services across Bracknell.

The local MP attended an event in the House of Commons to support Healthier Communities - a campaign to ensure GP's surgeries, pharmacies and other local healthcare services are located within town or shopping centres. This has the benefit of making healthcare services easily accessible for local people, and in revitalising local communities.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill - recently announced in the Queen’s Speech - places improving high streets and town centres at the forefront of the government’s priorities, giving local communities power to free up vacant properties.

The latest data underlines the importance of improving local healthcare outcomes, particularly following the pandemic. In Bracknell, an estimated 13.8% of adults are living with depression, in addition to 13.5% living with high blood pressure, and 6.4% with asthma.

Research shows the more easily people can access healthcare services, and the longer they have been treated by the same GP, health outcomes are improved. For someone who has been treated by the same GP for more than 15 years, the probability of acute hospitalisations and access to out-of-hours services decreased by up to 30%.

The campaign is run by the Purpose Coalition and Primary Health Properties, who have been working together to highlight the important role the company is playing in revitalising local communities through its’ investment in flexible and modern buildings for the delivery of local primary healthcare services.

Primary Health Properties, established 26 years ago, makes it its mission to invest in modern primary care properties in the UK. Over the last quarter of a century, the company has sought to support the NHS, in particular GP’s and other primary care providers to deliver excellent local healthcare in the communities in which its properties have been located, and tackle health inequalities.

James Sunderland said

“As we recover from the pandemic, improving our local healthcare services is one of my top priorities, by backing Healthier Communities, we can improve local health outcomes across Bracknell and revitalise our high streets which have suffered to much throughout the pandemic.”

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition said

“The link between opportunity and poor health outcomes is becoming increasingly clear. By investing in local primary care centres we can ensure accessibility to health care services in the areas that need them most, as well as a more proactive and preventative approach to health care in communities.”

Harry Hyman, Chief Executive of Primary Health Properties said

“Working with the Purpose Coalition, PHP's Impact Report demonstrates how our company is helping to deliver key priorities - levelling up, and improving healthcare outcomes. As we recover from the backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic, PHP's mission is to support the NHS and other healthcare providers by being a leading investor in modern, primary care premises that supports regeneration and is located conveniently for local people.”