Rachel Gilmour MP welcomes plan to expand premises at Bishops Lydeard and Wiveliscombe GP surgeries following inclusion in Government programme.
MP for Tiverton and Minehead, Rachel Gilmour, has welcomed the announcement from the Somerset Integrated Care Board confirming that Quantock Vale Surgery in Bishops Lydeard and Lister House Surgery in Wiveliscombe are set to receive a share of £1 million for premise expansion.
An announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) earlier this month confirmed that over £102 million was set to be shared between more than 1,000 GP practices across the UK for site expansions.
The Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) has confirmed that 16 practices in Somerset will share just over £1 million of the fund, including Quantock Vale Surgery in Bishops Lydeard and Lister House Surgery in Wiveliscombe.
As part of the Government’s Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, GP practices will be given funding to “enhance the use of existing structure”, “create additional capacity for the GP and practice workforce”, as well as “enable additional patient appointments”.
Rachel Gilmour MP recently met with representatives from the Somerset ICB, including NHS Somerset ICB Chief Executive, Jonathan Higman, to discuss the future of GP services. Rachel Gilmour MP believed that their visions for primary care in Somerset were “aligned”, agreeing on the need for a comprehensive and integrated care plan across all NHS services.
MP for Tiverton and Minehead, Rachel Gilmour, said:
“This news from the Somerset ICB is fantastic for residents in West Somerset. The funding to expand the premises in Bishops Lydeard and Wiveliscombe will benefit both staff and patients, helping to future-proof their services.
It is important to keep pressing forward to improve NHS primary care in the Tiverton and Minehead constituency, and I will continue to push the Government to do more for our area, which has so often been overlooked in recent years.”
Read more about the program here: Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK