New data from GPOnline suggests one-third of GP partners say their premises are not fit for purpose, with a similar number reporting that their premises haven’t been updated in ten years or more.
It comes as a national review of GP partnership and a review of premises explore ways to tackle issues which can act as barriers to primary care premises improvements.
Our CEO, Jonathan Murphy, says: “Premises are the silent partner in every GP practice. Without the fit-for-purpose space and layout they need, doctors and their teams can’t deliver primary care to support the evolving requirements of patients in the UK. The places in which patients receive their care can shape how they feel about using health services at all, as well as how, when and where they access them.
“With the government’s focus on prevention, workforce and technology, a fit-for-purpose primary care estate underpins delivery in all three areas and it’s clear that demand for investment to improve NHS premises remains acute. Equally, the broad agreement that services should move out of hospitals and into the community necessitates a fundamental upgrade of much of the NHS estate, as highlighted in Sir Robert Naylor’s review.”