Does objecting to a new housing development in your local community, on the basis that no provision is made for new or expanded GP services, make you a NIMBY?
Does campaigning for improved infrastructure to support new housing make you a blocker?
The Prime Minister and his government are adamant that they will ban the NIMBYS and Blockers to meet their ambitious housing targets of 1.5 million new homes within the next four years.
But as is becoming increasingly clear, many communities across the country are seeing new housing developments grow their local populations without adequate investment in primary care provision. And they’re not happy about it.
From Bristol to Cambridge, Surrey to Oxford, Didcot to Kent, barely a week goes by without news of a local community where new housing developments are being built without supporting health infrastructure.
Research conducted last year by the iPaper and the Home Builders Federation revealed that
· the number of patients per GP has increased by more than a third in some parts of England since 2017, as residents move into new developments built without supporting infrastructure
· Despite pleas from residents, funding for healthcare services from developers is not being spent
· At least 17 councils had more than £1m in unused healthcare funds secured via the planning system in 2023
The British Medical Association’s GP committee recognises the problem. Its deputy chair points out that while developers have obligations to fund infrastructure and make money available to expand health services, “we know that this does not always translate into new capacity – whether that’s a new GP practice or extending an existing one”.
He continues:
“We know from our members that GPs often struggle to tap into these funding pots. There are various potential reasons for this, whether that’s developers not providing the funding in the first place, or integrated care boards (ICBs) and councils not engaging properly to ensure local needs are met. It’s also a problem that a one-off capital investment only goes so far – without considering the ongoing costs of running a practice, at both ICB and practice level. Even if a developer funds an entirely new practice building, GPs are needed to take on a partnership, with all of the responsibility and financial liability that this entails, and more GPs and other staff need to be attracted to the area and recruited.”
Two years ago, I wrote about the need for health services to be prioritised in communities undergoing regeneration, acknowledging that while this is a complex challenge to address, it is also an essential one. Since then we have seen a push for more housing alongside both a renewed interest in preventative health and an increase in health inequalities.
The Royal College of General Practitioners recognises the challenge and offered a statement during the consultation on the NPPF:
“The RCGP supports the proposal to include reference to the prioritisation of expansion and upgrading of key public services infrastructure. And while there is an explicit reference to hospitals, primary care infrastructure should be also mentioned as is equally relevant and needed, being the part of the NHS where most patient care is delivered. The limited physical capacity of GP estates is currently hindering the service's ability to meet the growing patient demand, which is particularly acute in areas of rapid housing growth. Therefore, it is essential that any new development is accompanied by sufficient primary care infrastructure to provide care to patients locally, and that this is supported by the planning system. Infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring GPs and their teams are able to deliver high quality and safe healthcare for their patients. The Government's ambitions to move care into the community rely on a properly resourced general practice with adequate infrastructure; however, premises aren't currently in a fit state to meet demand. Therefore, the government must recognise this barrier and commit the necessary investment in general practice infrastructure to achieve this vision”
“Furthermore, as the government looks to build 1.5 million new homes it is vital that local planning authorities are given the necessary powers and resources so they can properly hold developers to account and ensure sufficient social infrastructure, such as GP practices, are in place to serve communities”
"Consequently, the RCGP supports the proposal to edit paragraph 100 of the existing NPPF, as we believe that significant weight should be placed on new, expanded or upgraded public service infrastructure. However, given the vital importance of accessible primary care infrastructure to local communities, we request that reference to ‘GP premises’ is explicitly added to the list of infrastructure mentioned in the paragraph. This small addition to the framework would send a strong signal to local authorities as to the importance government places on general practice and the health of their communities and fits in with the ambitions set out in the joint NHS and Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care”
Last week, Olly Glover MP for Didcot & Wantage stated to the House of Commons that while his constituents recognise the need for more and affordable housing, “the current planning system isn’t delivering the GP surgeries they need”. Will the Prime Minister, he asked, “restore faith in the planning system, and as well as delivering the housing numbers, deliver the local targets for health services that growing communities need?”
The PM responded
“we are of course delivering the 1.5 million homes, but we’re also creating communities for the future so he’s right that this must include good schools, GPs and reliable transport links because that’s what makes a good community”
Something else caught my eye last week – an article headlined
I read on
“As new housing developments rapidly expand across the UK, a critical issue is emerging: the lack of GP surgeries to support these growing communities. Despite promises of local infrastructure, residents are often left without access to nearby healthcare services, putting immense pressure on already overstretched local systems. The increasing number of patients per GP in these areas is creating a healthcare crisis, with both new and existing patients facing longer waiting times and reduced access to care”
And then the solution: sign up for 1Stop4aGP, a private GP service.
We all have a right to access good NHS healthcare. Standing up for this doesn’t make you a NIMBY or a blocker when consulted on new housing and population growth in your locality.
Clare Delmar
Listen to Locals
February 19, 2025
