More than half of Leeds’s primary care buildings, including GP practices, are in such poor shape that they fail to achieve minimum NHS standards relating to physical conditions.
One in seven also fails the NHS test of ‘functional suitability’, which suggests they are not fit for purpose, and 18 buildings are flagged as ‘high risk’.
Some premises are too small, while others are converted homes unsuited for healthcare provision.
The statistics are contained in a joint report by NHS Leeds North, NHS Leeds South and East, and NHS Leeds West CCGs, describing how commissioners will respond to the Government’s GP Forward View strategy.
The report says: ‘54% of primary care buildings fail to meet minimum NHS standards for physical condition, 15% for functional suitability and space utilisation, and 58% for statutory compliance status.’
Dr Richard Vautrey, assistant medical secretary for Leeds LMC and GPC deputy chair, said: ‘This issue is something we’ve been raising repeatedly.
‘Some practices have been able to improve their premises recently but there’s clearly a lot more that needs to be done.’
The CCGs say that premises will improve through money from NHS England’s Estate and Technology Transformation Fund.
The report also states: ‘The vision for the primary care estate is that it should move towards even more purpose-built, flexible, multi-use premises which are adaptable to changes in services, capacity or demand.’
The CCGs says they will produce a citywide plan during 2017/18 for improving premises – following LMC lobbying for such a scheme.
