Dr Kieran Mullan MP has welcomed new funding to improve GP surgeries, including Sedlescombe and Westfield Surgery.
The investment is part of the Government’s wider commitment to modernising primary care, with £102 million being allocated to upgrade and expand around 1,000 GP practices across England. The funding will help deliver more consulting rooms, improve patient access, and ultimately boost the number of appointments GPs can offer.
Commenting on the announcement, Kieran said:
"This investment is great news for the patients of Sedlescombe and Westfield. It will help improve their experience ensure that more people can get the care they need when they need it. But while I welcome this boost to existing infrastructure, we also need to see more support for brand new surgery buildings where current facilities are no longer fit for purpose."
Dr Mullan has been working closely with GP surgeries across the constituency that are seeking to build state-of-the-art, purpose-built premises. However, many of these projects face significant delays due to issues with the NHS rent system. Rents are set by the independent Valuation Office Agency and have not kept pace with rising construction costs and are often too low to make new developments financially viable.
Dr Mullan added:
"We need a more realistic approach to NHS rents to reflect the actual cost of building modern surgeries. Otherwise, we risk holding back the long-term improvements in primary care that both patients and staff deserve."
He is continuing to raise this issue in Parliament and call on Ministers directly to unlock further investment in the NHS estate.
