BBC News | HEALTH | Cash for GP surgeries

A �55m package to improve doctors' surgeries in some of the most deprived areas in England, has been announced.

The money, a mix of public and private capital, will initially benefit at least 600 surgeries, which will either be upgraded or totally replaced.

The aim is to cut waiting times for patients, and give them more time to spend with their GP.

There will be:

�30m of public capital to enable more premises to train new doctors
�15m of public capital to help accommodate expanding numbers of the primary care workforce
�10m to develop six Lift (NHS Local Improvement Finance Trusts) projects to build and own new facilities and lease them to GPs, pharmacists or dentists

The �45m of public capital is being targeted towards areas where there are fewer doctors practising than in other areas of the country.

It will be used to improve GP premises to accommodate more staff.

The �10m for Lift (�5 million from the government and �5m from Partnerships UK) is for schemes to build and own new facilities and lease them to primary care providers.

The first six projects in the NHS Lift programme will be in Barnsley, Camden and Islington, East London and the City, Manchester, Salford and Trafford, Newcastle and North Tyneside, and Sandwell.

Each scheme covers areas where there is a disproportionately high number of substandard premises and where health needs are greatest.

Underfunding

This will lead to faster appointments and lengthier consultations for patients

Alan Milburn
Health Secretary Alan Milburn said: "We are investing this money to help tackle the legacy of years of under investment in the NHS.

"Many primary care premises are over 30 years old, cramped and unfit for providing modern primary care services that people expect.

"80% of premises are below the recommended size and many of them are outdated.

"Too many of our poorest communities have been starved of investment in new doctors surgeries.

"Partnership with the private sector provides an opportunity to kick-start investment in primary care."

Dr John Chisholm said the investment was urgently needed
The LIFT schemes are being taken forward by a new company, Partnerships for Health, made up of the Department of Health and Partnerships UK.

The company is 50% owned by DOH and 50% by PUK.

Alan Milburn said the new investment would help build the infrastructure needed to support the 2,000 extra GPs the government wants to see in place by 2004.

He added: "This, in turn, will lead to faster appointments and lengthier consultations for patients."

Urgently needed

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP Committee, said: "Extra investment in the infrastructure of primary care is urgently required.

"We have for years been putting the case for additional investment in primary care staff and premises and this funding for premises is a welcome injection.

"In particular it is sensible to see the targeting of investment on deprived areas and on infrastructure needs of vocational training - something that is particularly necessary at a time of GP shortages."


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