Lib Dems Demand GP Services for New Housing Developments

Lib Dems Propose New Legislation for GP Provision

The Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans for a new law that would mandate housing developers in England to fund, construct, or expand GP surgeries, ensuring medical services are readily available for residents upon their arrival in new housing developments. The party asserts that taxes levied on developers would finance these essential services, with local authorities and NHS boards tasked with identifying areas requiring additional GP capacity.

While existing developer contributions, such as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), are already allocated for local infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, recent analysis by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) indicates that over £9 billion of these funds remain unspent by local authorities in England and Wales. The HBF has raised “increasing concerns about inefficiencies in spending and delivery,” suggesting a “capacity crisis in local government.”

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey emphasised that new developments “too often don't come with the services and infrastructure they need.” He stated that his party’s policy would ensure new or expanded GP surgeries are “up and running to serve new developments, right from the moment the first homes are sold,” covering not only the physical infrastructure but also the contracts for doctors to staff them.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism. Simon Clarke, director of the Onward think tank and a former Conservative minister, dismissed the plan as “totally mad,” questioning its potential impact on housebuilding, which is already facing challenges in meeting Labour’s pledge of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.