Health chiefs to ‘routinely’ charge housing developers to fund improvements to Shropshire practices

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin currently has 51 doctors’ practices operating from over 70 premises.

“We know that many practices are at or reaching capacity in terms of space, particularly with the increase in the workforce through the primary care network (PCN) additional roles staff,” says a report prepared by the Integrated Care System (ICS).

“We also know that a significant proportion of our General Practice estate is not fit for purpose.”

The ICS released a Primary Care Access Improvement Plan in November which outlined how health chiefs are looking to address the situation.

The plan states that the current Primary Care Estates Strategies was completed in 2020.

The ICS added that work ‘has been ongoing’ on the development of the next revision of the Primary Care Estates Strategy ‘taking into consideration the PCN plans related to clinical and non-clinical workforce and the impact of the additional roles staff’.

“This work is now nearing completion and we know that the capital investment requirement is going to be significant, at a time when there is currently no source of NHS capital,” their plan added.

“This will ensure that should new capital become available, we can ensure that this funding is targeted to the most urgent developments. As practice teams grow, there will be an associated need to invest in the GP estate.

“We know that many practices have reached or exceeded current capacity in terms of space to deliver core GP services. Some are in old and/or converted residential dwellings.”

However, the plan adds that there is no source of NHS capital ‘of sufficient scale’ for building extensions or new builds.

Health chiefs believe that this is unlikely to change before the next government spending review next year.

“NHS England has indicated that the government will update planning obligations guidance to ensure that primary care infrastructure is addressed by local planning authorities,” the plan adds.

Health chiefs says that they are working with both Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire councils as part of their normal planning process and have invested in additional technical capacity during the current financial year ending next month.

This is so that Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) financial agreements ‘are routinely made’ as part of the planning process to secure healthcare infrastructure funding from housing developers.

“This has been particularly successful in Shropshire with a pipeline of over £2.5m secured between now and 2034. There are a further five applications planned for 23/24,” added the plan.

“Telford & Wrekin Council has a different approach which makes securing health infrastructure investment from housing developers less successful.

“We are in discussion with Telford & Wrekin Council to explore ways in which this could be addressed.

“In the meantime, we will develop six Telford & Wrekin s106 applications in 2023/24 against planned housing developments.

“We are working with Shropshire Council to explore options for joint estates solutions outside of s106 and CIL.”

Telford & Wrekin Council’s health scrutiny committee is set to receive an update from the ICB on the Primary Care Access Recovery Plan at a meeting on Thursday.