Greater Manchester GPs will offer almost half a million more appointments this year, says the government

17:32, 06 May 2025Updated 17:32, 06 May 2025

The politicians say that patients in Greater Manchester will benefit from almost 440,000 more GP appointments each year(Image: Adam Vaughan)

Greater Manchester GP surgeries could be transformed – and offer almost half a million new appointments.

Patients in Greater Manchester could get almost 440,000 more GP appointments this year, the government says.

Currently GPs have capacity to take on more patients but can’t because of outdated buildings limiting working spaces, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced. Greater Manchester is now in line to receive more than £5.5 million as part of the ‘biggest public investment in GP facilities for five years’.

The politicians say that patients in Greater Manchester will benefit from almost 440,000 more GP appointments each year as over a thousand doctor’s surgeries in England receive a bricks and mortar upgrade to modernise practices in the government’s bid to deliver its ‘plan for change’.

The government says it is investing more than £102 million to pay for the improvements at over 1,000 GP surgeries across the country. The surgeries will get the funding to create additional space to see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care, following ‘years of neglect’.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

The government says the various upgrades and improvements promised to Greater Manchester patients and staff include: “Comprehensive internal reconfiguration of spaces where medical records have been digitised, creating multiple additional clinical rooms while modernising practices’ information management systems, and the strategic conversion of inefficient premises layouts into optimised clinical areas, increasing appointment capacity while improving overall patient flow through the facilities.”

‘Right now, many GP surgeries could be seeing more patients, but don’t have enough room or the right facilities to accommodate them’, said the DHSC.

‘From creating new consultation and treatment rooms to making better use of existing space, these quick fixes will help patients across the country be seen faster’, the health chiefs added.

The plan is to ‘move care out of hospital and into the community’ to resolve some of the pressure on the NHS.

Professor Lord Ara Darzi(Image: PA)

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “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.

“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 is only because of the necessary decisions we took in the budget that we are able to invest in GP surgeries, start tackling the 8am scramble and deliver better services for patients. The extra investment and reform this government is making, as part of its Plan for Change, will transform our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it.”

Lord Ara Darzi’s independent report into the state of the NHS last year ‘found outdated, inefficient buildings create barriers to delivering high-quality patient care and reduce staff productivity’, said the government.

Lord Ara Darzi said: “My review found that the primary care estate is simply not fit for purpose, with many GP surgeries housed in inflexible, outdated buildings that cannot enable safe, high-quality care. Today’s investment marks a crucial turning point in addressing this long-standing issue, helping create the modern, purpose-built primary care facilities that patients and staff deserve.”

Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said: “Today’s investment in improving GP surgeries is a much-needed step towards better access to care closer to home.

“Our reporting shows nearly one-third of patients struggle to book GP appointments, and we have long highlighted what matters in healthcare facilities: truly accessible spaces where everyone receives care with dignity. The potential for 8.3 million additional appointments from these refurbishments will make a real difference to communities waiting for care.

“Crucially, it delivers on what patients themselves have called for: modern, accessible spaces that support high-quality care. We look forward to seeing these upgrades rolled out, with a continued focus on ensuring patients everywhere get timely support in settings that support their dignity. This investment represents a meaningful step toward realising what patients have long been asking for.”

The funding comes alongside recruiting 1,500 additional GPs and reducing bureaucracy, says the government.

Projects will be delivered during the 2025-26 financial year, with the first upgrades expected to begin in summer 2025.