Two rural GP surgeries in Somerset are set to expand in the coming weeks, thanks to a significant £102 million funding boost from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). This investment is part of a wider initiative to refurbish and enlarge 16 GP surgeries across Somerset, aligning with the NHS ten-year plan to improve patient care by increasing capacity and modernising facilities.
Among the surgeries selected for this funding is the Axbridge & Wedmore Medical Practice, which operates two sites: one on Houlgate Way in Axbridge, near the Lavender Rise housing development, and another on St Medard Road in Wedmore, close to the busy B3139.
The practice has confirmed that construction will begin shortly, delivering six new clinical rooms across the two locations—five additional rooms at Axbridge and one at Wedmore. GP partners Dr Ewart Jackson-Voyzey and Dr Josephine McHugh shared the news on the surgeries' official Facebook page ahead of Christmas.
They expressed gratitude for the full funding awarded to Axbridge Surgery and the 66% funding for Wedmore. The Wedmore and Axbridge Community Health Fund CIO has generously committed to covering the remaining 34% shortfall for Wedmore, amounting to £42,000, plus costs for outfitting the new clinical rooms.
“These reconfigurations will enable us to expand neighbourhood-based care in line with the NHS Long Term Plan, which prioritises delivering services closer to communities rather than hospitals,” the doctors explained. “This upgrade ensures the practice is prepared to meet the evolving needs of our patients now and into the future.”
Construction work at Axbridge is scheduled to start in early February and is expected to take up to 12 weeks. The surgery will remain open throughout this period to maintain service availability.
Meanwhile, the Wedmore site will temporarily close for up to eight weeks during building work, with patients being seen at the Axbridge location in the interim. The practice reassures patients that appointment capacity will remain unaffected during this time.
The GP partners thanked patients for their ongoing support as the surgeries embark on this exciting redevelopment phase, which promises to enhance healthcare access and quality for their local communities.