Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the improvements will create new consultation and treatment rooms, thereby enhancing patient care and productivity.

The UK Government has announced a significant investment of £102 million to refurbish over 1,000 GP surgeries across England, aimed at modernizing outdated facilities and improving patient access during the 2025-2026 financial year.

This funding marks the largest public investment in GP facilities in the past five years, representing a crucial step towards expanding and modernizing buildings to accommodate more patients.

This initiative is part of the government's broader Plan for Change, which seeks to revitalize the NHS and enhance patient access to healthcare services.

Dr. Amanda Doyle emphasized that improving GP premises is vital for enhancing patient experience and supporting workforce recruitment and retention.

Concerns over the state of GP facilities have been highlighted, with Professor Kamila Hawthorne noting that 40% of surveyed GPs consider their premises unfit for purpose, and 90% report insufficient consulting rooms.

Streeting estimated that these upgrades could lead to an additional 8.3 million patient appointments this year, significantly increasing healthcare capacity.

Construction on the first refurbishment projects is set to commence in summer 2025, with hopes for noticeable improvements in access to GP services.

Specific examples of surgeries benefiting from the funding include the Prospect Medical Practice in Norwich and Harden Health Centre in the Black Country, which will convert office spaces into clinical rooms.

Ruth Rankine from the NHS Confederation stated that lack of investment in facilities has hindered productivity and care delivery improvements, highlighting the necessity of sustained investment in primary care.

Streeting expressed optimism for significant improvements in GP service access before the next general election, although he refrained from providing a specific timeline.

The investment aims to address years of neglect under the previous Conservative government, which has led to insufficient facilities at many GP surgeries.