Residents of Shefford have been in touch with me recently about difficulty getting appointments at their (otherwise excellent) GP surgery. The same problem faces people living in Cranfield and Flitwick.

Housing development often gets the blame, and there's no denying it's played a part. Increasing demand puts pressure on services. But there's also a lack of supply. We don't have enough GPs.

I know the Department of Health and the Beds Clinical Commissioning Group are aware of the problem and are working on solutions. For the good of my constituents I will be putting pressure on them to do that quicker.

I'm applying for a debate in Parliament to raise the specific issues faced by Mid-Beds residents when accessing GP services. I will also continue providing feedback to the CCG as they complete their strategy on the future provision of services across the constituency.

We have seen investment in the NHS from the Government recently, with promises of more to come. But the people I represent deserve to start seeing that reflected in the services they use every day.