No doctors, no development: Lib Dems call for a GP Guarantee on all new developments as surgeries strain under soaring patient numbers

• The Liberal Democrats have unveiled a new policy to ensure all housing developments come with new or expanded GP surgeries. 
• The call comes as shocking analysis reveals that GP surgeries serve an extra 917 homes each since 2015 - a 30% increase
• The party’s analysis also shows that an eye-watering 1327 practices have closed in a decade (between 2015 and 2025).

The Liberal Democrats are calling for GP investment to be guaranteed on every new development.

The party would require developers to fund or build new, or expand existing, GP surgeries in time for the arrival of new residents, with developer levies used to pay for them to be staffed while new residents are still moving in. This is part of the Liberal Democrats’ infrastructure-first approach to development, and supports their campaign to rescue General Practice and ensure everyone can get an appointment within 7 days, or 24 hours if urgent.

Developers would be required not only to fund new facilities but also to guarantee the GP surgery contract (or the cost of salaried GPs) while new residents are still moving in. This would ensure new residents don’t have to turn to over-stretched existing GPs, and new practices can be viable from the outset.

Delivery of health services has been found to be integral for public trust, with recent LSE research finding that where GP provision has declined and more surgeries have closed, support for the extreme right has risen.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

“The promise of the NHS feels broken, with local health services overwhelmed and targets routinely missed. We badly need investment in local services, including GPs, to cut waiting times and cut waste.

“Far too often with new developments, GPs are promised but never delivered. The result is hundreds of missing GP surgeries, broken trust, and huge pressure on local services

“It’s a bad deal for existing residents and those moving in. We need to turn that situation on its head and tell developers: no doctors, no deal.

“The Liberal Democrats have a plan to get our NHS back on track and that starts with getting Britain building and delivering the services communities need.”

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP added:

“Our communities are haunted by the ghosts of GP surgeries that have never materialised, leaving local services badly overwhelmed.

“How can we expect residents, existing and new, to trust decision makers if we fail them at the first hurdle? Our communities, and families trying to make a new life for themselves, are being left high and dry.

“Liberal Democrats are clear: new housing must go hand in hand with new GPs. We will ensure that no community is left overwhelmed. Together with our calls to recruit and retain an extra 8,000 GPs Liberal Democrats would ensure everyone can get an appointment within 7 days or 24 hours if urgent, with 24/7 booking and an end to the 8am scramble."

ENDS

Notes to editors

Research on NHS provision and support for the extreme right can be found here

Research on surgery and housing numbers can be found here.