MP barred from GP practice meetings after raising concerns about patient access

Martin Shipton

An MP who raised concerns about patient access to a GP practice in his constituency has been banned by the practice from attending patient participation group meetings.

Henry Tufnell, the Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, learnt of the ban from the minutes of the last such meeting which included a sentence that stated: “It was agreed no further invites should be issued to Mr Tufnell MP to attend future PPG meetings.”

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Public interest

A spokesperson for Mr Tufnell told Nation.Cymru: “I wanted to bring the following to your attention, as it relates to Henry’s key priorities, and is in the public interest.

“Since being elected, Henry has made the delivery of primary care a central focus of his work. He has been actively campaigning to improve access to GP services and has consistently emphasised the vital role that both the health board and individual GP surgeries play in ensuring patients receive timely, high-quality care.

“Henry continues to engage proactively and constructively with officials at Hywel Dda University Health Board, local practices, including cluster groups across Pembrokeshire, and, of course, his constituents. His aim is to help establish best practice across all GP surgeries in the county, addressing the clear discrepancies in service levels that have created a postcode lottery for patients.

“St Thomas’s Surgery in Haverfordwest is one example where concerns have been raised. Henry has highlighted issues around patient access and the booking system, which have been echoed by many constituents.

“Encouragingly, some patients have since reported improvements following Henry’s intervention.

“However, yesterday Henry received an email from St Thomas’s Surgery containing details of the next Patient Participation Group meeting and the minutes from the last meeting. The minutes included the following statement: ‘It was agreed no further invites should be issued to Mr Tufnell MP to attend future PPG meetings.’

“Henry has responded to the surgery directly, expressing his concern at being excluded from that engagement. He remains committed to advocating for improvements in primary care and will continue working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that patient voices are heard and acted upon.”

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Shocked

In his letter to the practice, Mr Tufnell said: “Thank you for sending over the details of the next Patient Participation Group meeting.

“I was both shocked and concerned to see the note attached to the minutes indicating that I would be barred from attending future meetings. Excluding the local Member of Parliament from such engagement is not acceptable, and I know many constituents would be deeply concerned to learn of this decision.

“Since being elected, I have worked hard to highlight ways in which access to primary care can be improved. Issues with the booking system and appointment accessibility at St Thomas’s Surgery have been raised by countless constituents, and I have taken these concerns very seriously. I witnessed these issues first hand during three visits to the surgery, where I spoke directly with patients struggling to secure appointments.

“Following my intervention, I’ve also spoken with constituents who have noticed improvements to the booking system. I was pleased to receive this feedback and hope it will continue.

“I have been working closely with Professor Phillip Kloer, chief executive of the health board, who has acknowledged the challenges facing both primary and secondary care. He has also recognised the value of establishing best practice across all GP practices and I continue to work with the cluster groups across Pembrokeshire to improve access.

“Excluding the local MP from these discussions does not reflect the values of the NHS or those published by Hywel Dda University Health Board: ‘Striving to deliver and develop excellent services. Working together to be the best we can be.’

“While I am disappointed by the decision to exclude me from future meetings, it will not deter me from continuing to advocate for improvements in primary care. I remain committed to engaging constructively and proactively with officials at Hywel Dda University Health Board, local medical professionals, and most importantly, my constituents, whose access to health care remains my top priority.”

We sought comment from St Thomas’s Surgery, but have not received a response.