Four GP practices in Luton South and South Bedfordshire are set to feel the benefits of this investment with Churchfield Medical Group and Larkside Practice, Malzeard Road Surgery, Whipperley Medical Centre and Woodland Avenue Practice selected to receive funding. This will help deliver on Labour’s promise to fix the front door of the NHS, preventing patients being stuck in the 8am scramble for a GP appointment.
Backed by the Labour government’s major cash injection of over £102 million, GP surgeries across the country will receive vital funding to create additional space to see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care, following years of neglect. These quick fixes will help patients across the country, including in Luton South and South Bedfordshire, be seen faster.
This represents the biggest investment in GP facilities in five years, following the government’s decision in the Budget to invest £26 billion into the NHS. It is also another measure helping the Labour government shift care out of hospital and into the community, as part of its Plan for Change.
Rachel Hopkins, MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire said: “I have repeatedly heard the frustration of residents in Luton South and South Bedfordshire about the difficulty that they have in getting a GP appointment. Labour promised it would help bring back the family doctor. With 1,500 new GPs recruited already, I’m delighted that we are starting to deliver on that promise."
“But that was just the start. We said we would fix the front door of the NHS – now we’re committing to that with the biggest investment GP facilities have seen for years. Our Labour government is delivering for people in Luton South and South Bedfordshire.”
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.”