GP premises investment must improve pharmacist workspaces, urges PDA

New government investment for general practice premises must ensure that pharmacists working in these settings have the facilities they need to do their job properly, the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged.

It comes as more than 1,000 GP practices in England will be given funding from the government for ‘quick fix’ estate upgrades this year.

The £102m cash injection is expected to stretch across around 1,000 GP surgeries, rather than 200 as initially stated when the funding was first announced in the autumn.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the capital fund will be used to ‘create additional space to see more patients, boost productivity and improve patient care, following years of neglect’.

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As examples, the DHSC described how Prospect Medical Practice in Norwich would use the funding to ‘create new clinical rooms to deliver more patient consultations’, and in Harden Health Centre in Black Country, where ‘vacant office spaces’ will be converted into consultation rooms.

The PDA said that pharmacists working in general practice had 'consistently reported that in some practices, the facilities allocated to pharmacists are inadequate'.

This could include shared desks in corridors, or non-clinical or makeshift spaces not suitable for confidential patient consultations or clinical work.

Jay Badenhorst, PDA director of pharmacy, said: 'Our members tell us that they are sometimes working in spaces that are simply not conducive to safe, effective, or dignified patient care.

'As the NHS rightly seeks to bring care closer to communities, it must ensure that every healthcare professional, including pharmacists, has the facilities and infrastructure they need to do their job properly.'

Funding being used for 'quick fix' improvements

The funding injection for GP premises, first mooted in the Budget last October, will be spread across significantly more GP practices than the 200 general practice estates that the government first suggested.

The DHSC told our sister title Pulse that it has found a ‘smarter’ way to use exactly the same money, and that integrated care boards (ICBs) wanted to make smaller, quicker improvements, rather than fewer big projects.

Premises upgrades are expected to begin this summer, and the government said all projects ‘will be delivered during the 2025-26 financial year’.

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The DHSC also claimed that these premises refurbishments will result in 8.3 million additional appointments each year.

The funding is available via the Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation fund, which allocated money to ICBs in 2025/26 on a weighted population basis.

Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said these were ‘simple fixes’ to support GP practices that ‘were left to ruin’.

‘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,’ he added.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services, said: ‘Bringing GP premises up to a similar condition across England is important to improve patient experience of NHS services, while making primary care a better working environment as we seek to retain and recruit more staff.’

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NHS England (NHSE) invited proposals from ICBs earlier this year, specifying that any upgrades ‘must be deliverable by March 2026’ and that approvals will ‘depend on value for money’ and the potential for ‘increased clinical appointments’.

Capital guidance from NHSE said: ‘Given the relatively limited availability of capital available in 2025/26, eligible projects include minor estates schemes focused on refurbishing or reconfiguring existing spaces to improve clinical capacity and productivity.’