A West Yorkshire GP practice is able to see ‘more patients than ever before’ thanks to government funding aimed at boosting people’s access to modern, expanded healthcare services closer to home.

Funding of £143,000 through the government’s 10 Year Capital Plan has enabled managers at Thorner Surgery in Leeds to provide additional clinical and administration space, together with a new dispensary.

The surgery’s Practice Manager, Eliza Venizelou (pictured), described the works carried out.

“The creation of an additional clinical room on the ground floor, together with the conversion of a first-floor flat into three further rooms, has significantly increased our clinical capacity, enabling us to see more patients than ever before,” Eliza explained.

“Our new dispensary has also been a valuable addition, providing a much more convenient way for patients to collect their medication. It has enabled us to expand the range of services we offer, including the provision of dosette boxes, while making better use of the expertise and skills of our pharmacy team.

“These improvements support our ongoing commitment to delivering the highest standard of care and service to our patients.”

Pictured right: at Thorner Surgery in Leeds a former kitchen and staff room has been converted into an additional clinical room.

Across the North East and Yorkshire, the government’s 10 Year Capital Plan has supported more than 100 practice improvement schemes, creating additional clinical capacity and better facilities for both patients and staff. More schemes are planned in the coming years, bringing further benefits to local communities.

Other GP surgeries in this region which have improved patients’ access to expanded, modern facilities include

• Coxhoe Medical Practice in Durham, where an additional 14,200 potential appointments have been created by converting an underused reception area to make two clinical rooms, and
• two sites managed by Haxby Group in Hull, where four new consultation and treatment rooms have created 26,000 additional potential appointments.

Haxby Group General Manager Karen Phillips said: “Thanks to the four extra rooms the investment made possible, we were able to see so many more patients across our Kingswood and Orchard Park sites. The improvements have helped us to increase the number of appointments we are able to offer.”

In total, GP surgery improvement schemes made possible through the 10 Year Capital Plan will enable practices in the North East and Yorkshire to create space for more than two million potential appointments.

Dr Faisel Baig, GP and Primary Care Medical Director for NHS North East and Yorkshire, said 10 Year Capital Plan funding will mean more GP surgeries across the region can expand and modernise, helping patients to access care more easily, and closer to home.

Dr Baig added: “Alongside our Neighbourhood Health Centre programme, these improvements will help shift more care from hospitals into communities, making it easier for people to access joined-up care closer to home.”

Since May 2025, government investment of £102 million has supported nearly 800 GP surgery improvement projects across England, helping practices create additional space for an estimated nine million extra appointments.

For patients, this means improved access to GP services, shorter waits for appointments and more care available closer to home. A further £200 million investment will enable more practices to expand and modernise their facilities, making it easier for people to receive timely care in their local community.

• Dosette boxes are plastic boxes with small compartments that clearly show which pills need to be taken at what time of day. Read more at NHS website: Medicines: tips for carers – Social care and support guide – NHS