Hundreds of GP surgeries are not fit for purpose, and many are not equipped or suitable to meet the ever-growing patient demand. Those are the findings of a BMA survey of nearly 2,000 GPs and practice managers. They reveal widespread concern about the state of surgeries across England; mould growing in waiting rooms, treatment rooms with cracked walls and inadequate space for staff to work in.
Only 50% of respondents to the survey said their premises are suitable for present use, while 83% believe they cannot meet future demand. Over 80% reported not having enough space for additional staff, and nearly three quarters said they cannot provide training facilities for new GPs. Funding is falling seriously short. Since 2022, 42% of applications for funds to make improvements have been rejected, even though most requested less than £150,000.
Practices also reported serious concerns over longstanding disputes over inaccurate charges from Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) owned companies, NHS Property services (NHSPS) and Community Health partnerships (CHP) with examples like being charged for lift maintenance when the practice does not even have a lift. Over half of NHSPS tenants and a third of CHP tenants, who responded to the survey, say these disputes are threatening their sustainability, and worryingly, many GPs have even considered handing back their contracts as a result.
BMA General Practitioners Committee England Premises Policy Lead Dr Gaurav Gupta said: “This survey shows a system at breaking point. Patients deserve to be seen in safe, modern surgeries that allow GPs and their teams to focus on what matters most, but instead they are being cared for in buildings that are simply not fit for purpose and were never designed to meet modern health needs.
“Staff have told us about working out of converted containers, in cramped rooms, and kitchens that can barely fit one person, which makes it hard to provide the safe, confidential, and dignified care that patients deserve. Many surgeries cannot house additional GPs and other staff, meaning patients face longer waits and fewer services close to home - directly undermining the Government’s 10-year plan, which places neighbourhood health services at its core.”
“Training new GPs is almost impossible when practices have no space for them, threatening the future supply of family doctors. At the same time, practices are being drained by unfair and inaccurate service charges, forced to spend precious time disputing bills rather than focusing on patient care.
“This is not just about bricks and mortar, this is ultimately about patient care. We urgently need substantial investment to modernise GP surgeries, clear action to free up space by removing paper records, and resolution of service charge disputes that have gone on for years."
