RISHI Sunak is registered with a private GP practice which guarantees same-day appointments for all patients with urgent concerns, according to reports.
Last week, the Prime Minister declined to comment on whether he had private healthcare, as he said it was “not appropriate” to talk “about one’s family healthcare”.
The Guardian reports that Sunak is registered with a west London clinic that charges £250 for half-hour consultations and offers appointments in the evenings and at weekends.
The clinic also allows patients to request home visits from doctors at a cost of between £400 and £500, while prescriptions cost up to £80, the paper reported.
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The latest statistics from NHS England show that just 41.5% of GP appointments took place on the same day, with 8% taking place the following day.
Last week, Sunak committed to a pledge by former health secretary Therese Coffey that no patient would wait longer than two weeks to see a GP.
Sunak has repeatedly dodged questions about whether or not he uses private healthcare.
At PMQs earlier this month, he was asked whether he would use an NHS GP or an A&E service if he or a family member became unwell.
Former international trade secretary Liam Fox said it is a “free country” when asked about the report.
He told Sky News: “The Prime Minister and the Government are judged by what they do for the NHS… what they do with their private money is up to them.
“I don’t have private insurance but I don’t in any way think that people should not do that if that’s what they choose to do.
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“Anyone is entitled to do that; this is a free country. It cannot be that we tell some people they cannot do that.
“The Government is judged by what it’s doing for the NHS and the NHS is getting a lot of extra money.”
The Guardian said that Downing Street declined to comment when approached for comment on the Prime Minister’s decision to use a private GP practice.
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