More appointments for patients amid £1m boost

Langport Surgery is among the 16 sites to benefit from the funding

A total of 16 GPs will receive the equivalent of £62,500 each to expand their surgeries and provide more appointments.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced on 6 May more than £102m will be shared by about 1,000 practices across the UK.

It has now been confirmed that 16 surgeries in Somerset will share a pot of about £1m - with 15 already developing expansion plans.

A spokesman for the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it will hold the money before reimbursing GP practices.

The funding from central government has been agreed to deliver an extra 8.3 million appointments each year in Labour's 10-year plan for the NHS.

It does not cover the day-to-day running costs associated with running a surgery, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The 16 GP practices which will receive the funding are:

• Axbridge & Wedmore Medical Practice, Houlgate Way, Axbridge

• Beckington Family Practice, St. Luke's Road, Beckington

• Church Street Surgery, Church Street, Martock

• Church View Medical Centre, Broadway Road, Broadway

• Crewkerne Health Centre, Middle Path, Crewkerne

• East Quay Medical Centre, East Quay, Bridgwater

• Edington Surgery, Broadway, Edington

• French Weir Health Centre, French Weir Avenue, Taunton

• Glastonbury Surgery, Feversham Lane, Glastonbury

• Highbridge Medical Centre, Alfred Court, Highbridge

• Langport Surgery, A378 North Street, Langport

• Lister House Surgery, B3227 Croft Way, Wiveliscombe

• Quantock Vale Surgery, Mount Street, Bishop's Lydeard

• Vine Surgery, Hindhayes Lane, Street

• Warwick House Surgery, Upper Holway Road, Taunton

• Wincanton Health Centre, Dyke's Way, Wincanton

Langport Surgery (also known as the North Street Surgery) secured planning permission from Somerset Council for its expansion in August 2024, with the ICB confirming in January 2025 that its final business case for the project was almost complete.

Speaking on 6 May , Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP said: "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."