Plan to modernise 1,000 GP practice buildings

Funding is being given to around one in six GP practices in England to help them improve their buildings, the government says.

Around £102m is being provided to expand and modernise surgeries, with work getting under way this summer. The government said it was the biggest public investment in facilities for five years.

It comes as satisfaction levels with GP service have hit record-low levels and figures suggest two in five GPs are reporting their practices are not fit for purpose.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "significant step", but warned it would not solve all existing problems overnight.

Under the plan, some of the projects will involve converting office space into clinical consulting rooms as well as building new practices.

Mr Streeting 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.

"It is only because of the necessary decisions we took in the Budget that we are able to invest in GP surgeries, start tackling the 08:00 scramble and deliver better services for patients," he added.

'Inadequate'

Prof Kamila Hawthorne, of the Royal College of GPs, described the funding announcement as an "encouraging interim measure", but said long-term investment would be needed to tackle the "inadequate infrastructure".

"This not only makes for a poor experience for both patients and practice staff, but it restricts the care and services a practice can provide," she said.

The British Social Attitudes survey, published last month, found that just 31% of people in the UK were satisfied with NHS GP services - compared to 68% in 2019.

Research by the Institute for Government, an independent think-tank, found that patient satisfaction with GPs had fallen significantly since the pandemic, driven by fewer in-person appointments.

Around 80% of patients saw a GP in person in 2019. By last year, that had fallen to 66%.

Ruth Rankine, the primary care director at the NHS Confederation, said doctors would welcome the £102m boost to "deliver high quality care, closer to home, and fit for the 21st century".

"If we are serious about shifting care from hospital to community, from sickness to prevention, and from analogue to digital, then sustained investment in primary and community estates, equipment and technology is vital," she added.

It is unclear which of the 6,252 GP surgeries in NHS England will benefit from the new funding.

Last month the government announced it would expand a scheme to help GPs provide care to patients without admitting them to hospital - backed by £80m in funding.

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