City invests in new GP surgeries

At least three new GP surgeries are being built in Leicester as part of a £3.5m investment plan.

The city's primary care trust has been given the funding as it has too few GPs - 2,500 patients per doctor compared with a national average of 1,700.

The public are to be consulted about where the surgeries should be.

The scheme - which could also see a walk-in centre built - aims to have contracts signed this year and the surgeries open in 2009.

Consulting 'stakeholders'

There are 63 GP practices in Leicester with about 200 GPs, but areas such as Beaumont Leys, Mowmacre and the city centre have been identified as under-resourced.

Toby Sanders, director of primary care for Leicester City PCT, said: "We know we need to put money into our health care services where GP lists are already full or are simply not accessible for people across the city and this is a real opportunity to make a difference.

"We are talking not only with the public, but also with stakeholders and our primary care teams to work as a team to identify the locations for the surgeries, where we can then move forward to the next stage"

Earlier this month the PCT offered £700,000 to existing GP practices if they extended their opening times.