NEWS STORY : Government Injects £102 Million to Modernise GP Surgeries and Expand Patient Access
STORY
The Government has announced a substantial investment of over £102 million to refurbish more than 1,000 GP surgeries across England. This initiative aims to create over 8.3 million additional patient appointments annually, addressing long-standing issues of limited capacity and outdated facilities in primary care. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting emphasised the significance of this investment, stating:
“These are simple fixes for our GP surgeries but for too long they were left to ruin, allowing waiting lists to build and stopping doctors treating more patients.”
The funding will be utilised to create new consultation and treatment rooms, repurpose existing spaces, and enhance the overall infrastructure of GP practices. For instance, Prospect Medical Practice in Norwich plans to add clinical rooms to better serve its nearly 7,000 patients, while Harden Health Centre in the Black Country will convert vacant offices into consulting rooms to increase patient access.
Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, highlighted the broader impact of the refurbishments:
“Bringing GP premises up to a similar condition across England is important to improve patient experience of NHS services, while making primary care a better working environment as we seek to retain and recruit more staff.”
This refurbishment programme is part of the government’s broader “Plan for Change,” which includes a £26 billion investment in the NHS. The initiative aims to shift care from hospitals to community settings, thereby improving accessibility and efficiency in healthcare delivery. The refurbishments are scheduled to commence in the summer of 2025, marking the most significant investment in GP facilities in five years.
