Over half of British public want new and improved GP surgeries to support national housebuilding targets
The Government aims to build 1.5 million new homes in England over the next four years, and has pledged to start work on up to 12 new towns.
One of the aims of the new towns programme is to ‘provide housing for strong communities with the necessary infrastructure, services, and amenities’ – but what amenities are most important to the public alongside new housing?
New research commissioned by Assura investigated this topic. Looking at a range of amenities alongside new housing – from parks and pubs to public transport and improved roads – there was one clear priority across all age groups and regions: GP practices.
Putting health at the heart of the community
Over half (54%) of the 1,550 people surveyed by Deltapoll cited new or upgraded GP practices as a top priority for amenities to support housebuilding targets. In contrast to other services, the support for GP practices was consistent across all age groups with it being a leading choice for Gen Z respondents right through to Baby Boomers. Almost half of respondents (47%) also stated they would be less likely to object to new housing developments if the provision of the additional amenities was guaranteed.
Commenting on the findings, Jonathan Murphy CEO at Assura said:
“It is clear from this poll that health and wellbeing is an important issue to the British public and GP practices have a critical part to play in their local communities. The Government aims to deliver 1.5 million new homes; it is vital that the right infrastructure is put in place alongside these new houses to ensure communities have adequate access to services, such as GP practices.”
Delivering the nation’s priorities
In addition to housing targets, the Government has also outlined its ambition to support the NHS to move towards a “Neighbourhood Health Service” in which treatment and care are based closer to people's homes rather than in hospital.
In this context, Assura’s research also looked at attitudes towards the current provision of GP services. Around half of respondents (51%) believed there is currently an inadequate number of GP practices in their local area – a view that became more prevalent with age. There is also a general acceptance that there is a level of investment required to reach a “Neighbourhood Health Service” and over half of respondents (52%) support the use of private-sector funding to pay for the upgrades needed.
Looking to the future
This research highlights the importance the public places on health, and underlines the need for the right infrastructure to be in place to support the 1.5 million new homes target. The pressures the NHS faces are well-documented and these can only be alleviated with the right partnerships in place.
With a portfolio of over 600 healthcare properties from which over six millions patients are served, Assura continues to be well placed to support the NHS in delivering the much-needed modern primary care estate to improve the country’s health and wellbeing.