Highbridge Medical Centre is among 16 Somerset centres that look set to expand and provide more appointments to local patients following a cash injection from central government.
It’s claimed the investment will help the NHS to deliver an extra 8.3 million appointments each year and improve the service being offered to patients as part of Labour’s 10-year plan to future-proof and modernise the health service.
In announcing the funding, Health secretary Wes Streeting said it represented the biggest investment in GP facilities in five years, and formed part of the government’s wider £26bn investment in the NHS in a bid to get patients out of acute hospitals and into their local communities.
He said: “It will be a long road, but this government is putting in the work to fix our NHS and make it fit for the future. 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 8am scramble and deliver better services for patients.”
“The extra investment and reform this government is making, as part of its Plan for Change, will transform our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it.”
The 16 Somerset GP practices which will benefit from this funding are as follows:
- Highbridge Medical Centre, Alfred Court, Highbridge
- 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
- 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
Each of the practices being supported by the government’s primary care utilisation and modernisation fund will be provided with capital funding to build new consultation and treatment rooms, or substantially remodel their existing premises to make better use of existing space.
It does not cover the day-to-day running costs associated with running a surgery, such as the salaries of hiring more doctors or practice nurses – with these being met through the budgets of individual surgeries.
However, the improved working conditions is designed not only to improve patients’ experience but to make the given practices more attractive to potential staff, aiding with ongoing recruitment and retention.
Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services, adds: “We know more needs to be done to improve patient access to general practice and this investment in more than 1,000 primary care premises will help do this.”
“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.”
“It will also help to create additional space and extend the capacity of current premises as we improve access further and bring care closer to the communities where people live as part of the ten-year health plan.”
The 16 surgeries are expected to start delivering their upgrades through the current financial year, with the first upgrades beginning in the summer.
The NHS Somerset ICB has not provided confirmation of precisely how much funding it has received, or which projects are likely to be delivered first.
