Major change to GP appointments set to affect millions as doctors will be handed £102million to build bigger surgeries
GPs will get £102million to enlarge their surgeries under plans to boost appointments.
The NHS cash will go to more than 1,000 practices in England — around one in six of the 6,200 total.
Ministers said many doctors have the time to see more patients but not the physical space.
Satisfaction with the NHS tumbled to an all-time low this year with 77 per cent disappointed by GP wait times.
The Royal College of GPs also found 40 per cent of family doctors say their practice is not fit for purpose.
Lord Ara Darzi, who last year wrote a damning report on the state of the NHS, said: “Many GP surgeries are housed in inflexible, outdated buildings that cannot enable safe, high-quality care.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said patients would benefit from an extra 8.3million appointments a year as a result of the work.
He said: “These are simple fixes for our GP surgeries but for too long they were left to ruin, allowing waiting lists to build and stopping doctors treating more patients.
“It will be a long road, but this government is putting in the work to fix our NHS and make it fit for the future.”
Dr Amanda Doyle, for NHS England, added: “Bringing premises up to a similar condition is important to improve patient experience and make a better working environment as we seek to retain and recruit more staff.”
The Patients Association said: “This will make a real difference.”
The work starts in summer.
Meanwhile, AI heart scans at 56 hospitals are cutting waiting lists and saving the NHS millions.