Shrewsbury surgeries set to receive funding for facilities as government announces £102m investment into GPs

Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, has welcomed the announcement that over 1,000 GP practices, including Riverside Medical Practice in Barker Street and South Hermitage Surgery in Belle Vue Road, will receive funding to modernise their facilities. 

The investment will help create more space for patient care and improve local services, contributing to more than 8.3 million additional GP appointments across the country each year.

Many GPs currently have the staff and capacity to treat more people, but are limited by outdated or cramped premises. The funding will support surgeries to expand consultation and treatment rooms and make better use of existing space to see more patients, more quickly.

The £102 million investment is the largest made in GP premises in five years and forms part of the government’s wider plan to move more care into the community and reduce pressure on hospitals. 

Julia Buckley MP said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the government investing directly in our local healthcare system. Many of the surgeries I visit tell me that, while they have the capacity to meet the growing needs of our communities, they are unable to do so effectively due to limitations in their physical spaces.

“This funding, which we hope marks the start of further investment in our preventative approach to healthcare, will provide immediate benefits to two surgeries in Shrewsbury and the communities they serve. It will also help alleviate some of the pressure on our hospital, benefiting the wider population here in Shrewsbury.”

The announcement forms part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to improve patient access to care and bring services closer to home.