NHS leaders in Somerset are being called upon to apply greater pressure on housing developers to secure essential funding for Bridgwater’s overstretched health services. The town is undergoing substantial growth fueled by major projects such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and the £4 billion gigafactory near Puriton and Woolavington. Unlike other areas in Somerset delayed by the phosphate crisis, Bridgwater’s development continues unabated.
Liz Browne, a registered nurse and member of Bridgwater Without Parish Council, criticised Somerset Council for often allowing developers to avoid making adequate financial contributions toward local NHS services. These funds are critical for expanding GP surgeries and providing more patient appointments.
Ms Browne urged the Somerset NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), responsible for allocating health resources, to enforce developer obligations tied to approved housing developments. The ICB acknowledges the need for better management of additional housing impacts and plans to push for more contributions within the forthcoming Somerset-wide Local Plan.
At the ICB meeting on November 27 in Glastonbury, Ms Browne highlighted the projected addition of around 4,000 patients within the next decade in east Bridgwater alone. Despite this, local GP practices have declared they cannot absorb the rise in patient numbers without risking staff burnout and compromised care. Appointment waiting times are already deemed “clinically unacceptable,” which may lead to worsened secondary care pressures and poorer health outcomes.
She criticised the local authority for regularly accepting viability assessments that let developers off the hook financially. Current developments include 260 new homes at Strawberry Grange and plans for hundreds more at Folletts Farm and adjacent areas.
Ms Browne warned that the ICB’s reliance on Office for National Statistics data overlooks critical local housing projections and approved planning permissions. Funding from central government remains reactive and insufficient, failing to keep pace with rapid population growth.
While developer NHS contributions can be used for capital costs like building GP surgeries, they do not cover operating expenses such as medical staff salaries. Ms Browne welcomed the ICB’s decision to review primary care provision in line with the NHS ten-year plan but questioned whether it will adequately address the exponential demand.
She called on the ICB to work with local authorities to enforce developers’ financial responsibilities, potentially slowing development phases to prevent a healthcare crisis.
ICB Chief Medical Officer Dr Bernie Marden emphasized the need for a holistic approach to ensure adequate local healthcare access. Construction is already underway for a new diagnostic centre on Bower Lane that will reduce the need for travel to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.
Dr Marden acknowledged the challenge of securing funding through planning due to national constraints. Many GP practices in Bridgwater currently exceed their recommended patient capacities, and further housing will worsen this. The ICB is collaborating with Somerset Council to highlight these pressures, but the lack of a direct funding link tied to planning approvals remains a barrier.
He assured that the ICB will be consulted during the development of the Somerset Local Plan, with public engagement expected in spring 2026, aiming for better coordinated infrastructure planning.
Meanwhile, the ICB reviews council planning applications individually and seeks Section 106 funding where developments increase primary care demand. Recent upgrades include new consulting rooms at East Quay Medical Centre and improvements at Polden Medical Practice in Woolavington.