Two rural GP surgeries in Somerset are poised to expand in the coming weeks thanks to a significant NHS funding boost from the central government. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced in early May 2025 that 16 GP surgeries across Somerset will share in a £102 million investment aimed at refurbishing and expanding healthcare premises. This initiative supports the NHS ten-year plan to improve patient care by increasing capacity and accessibility.
Among the beneficiaries is 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 road. These surgeries will soon begin construction to add six new clinical rooms across both locations.
GP partners Dr. Ewart Jackson-Voyzey and Dr. Josephine McHugh shared the good news with patients via the surgeries’ official Facebook page just before Christmas. They confirmed that Axbridge Surgery received 100% funding, while Wedmore Surgery secured 66% funding for the planned upgrades. The Wedmore and Axbridge Community Health Fund CIO has generously agreed to cover the remaining 34% (£42,000) shortfall for the Wedmore site, as well as the costs of equipping all new clinical rooms.
READ MORE: Matt Weston Shines with Victory in Opening 2026 Skeleton Race
READ MORE: Dealer, 27, Sentenced for Supplying Over £1 Million Worth of Cocaine in Avon and Somerset
The expansion will deliver five additional clinical rooms at Axbridge and one at Wedmore. These improvements align with the NHS Long Term Plan, which focuses on providing healthcare services closer to communities rather than in hospitals. This development ensures the practice can better meet current and future patient needs.
Construction at Axbridge is slated to begin in early February and is expected to last up to 12 weeks, during which the surgery will remain open. The start date for the building work at Wedmore has yet to be confirmed, but the site will close for up to eight weeks to allow for renovations. During this period, all Wedmore patients will be seen at the Axbridge site.
The doctors reassured patients that appointment availability would not be affected during the construction phase and thanked them for their ongoing support as the surgeries enter this exciting growth period.