Nine Leigh and Atherton GP surgeries set for refurbishments

This is part of a national initiative to create more than 8 million new GP appointments this year.

The initiative is part of Labour's Plan for Change, which aims to modernise over 1,000 GP surgeries across the country.

The refurbishments are intended to increase capacity and improve patient care.

Jo Platt, Labour and Co-operative MP for Leigh and Atherton, welcomed the announcement.

Jo Platt MP (Image: Supplied) She said: "Residents in Leigh and Atherton frequently tell me of their frustration at having to endure the dreaded ‘8am scramble’ and the difficulty that they have in getting a GP appointment.

"I was elected on the promise that Labour would help bring back the family doctor – and with 1,500 new GPs recruited already, I’m delighted that our Labour Government is starting to deliver on that promise."

The initiative is backed by a £102 million cash injection from the Labour government.

This funding will be used to create additional space in GP surgeries, boosting productivity and improving patient care.

Currently, many GP surgeries have the capacity to take on more patients but are supposedly limited by outdated buildings and insufficient working spaces.

The refurbishments will include creating new consultation and treatment rooms and making better use of existing space.

Jo Platt MP with Mary Fleming CEO of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust at the opening of Theatre 4 at Leigh Infirmary in March (Image: Supplied) Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "It will be a long road, but this government is putting in the work to fix our NHS and make it fit for the future.

"These are simple fixes for our GP surgeries but for too long they were left to ruin, allowing waiting lists to build and stopping doctors treating more patients.

"It is only because of the necessary decisions we took in the Budget that we are able to invest in GP surgeries, start tackling the 8am scramble and deliver better services for patients."

The projects are set to be delivered during the 2025-26 financial year, with the first upgrades expected to begin in summer 2025.