The petition of residents of Sherston and the surrounding villages,
Declares that the future of Sherston surgery remains uncertain; that the existing Tolsey surgery in Sherston is no longer fit for purpose; a new purpose-built surgery has been offered by a developer; the integrated care board has to date refused to commit to operating NHS services from the proposed new premises; further declares that, without such a commitment, many residents in Sherston and neighbouring villages are in danger of being left without reasonable access to essential NHS primary care services
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take immediate action to support the establishment and ongoing operation of a new healthcare facility in Sherston to ensure continued access to NHS services for the local community.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Dr Roz Savage, Official Report, 16 July 2025; Vol. 771, c. 390.]
[P003094]
Observations from the Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock):
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire integrated care board has confirmed that it has regular dialogue with the surgery team at Tolsey, and is committed to supporting the practice with the day-to-day running of its services as well as larger, longer-term projects.
The ICB is responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the reasonable needs of people in the locality, and managing costs within its allocated budget. In line with the primary care network service and estates planning toolkit, the ICB needs to evidence a robust primary care investment plan, with clear priorities aligned to its wider strategies, in order to prioritise local primary care investment requirements over other system demands for capital funding.
Investment in general practice premises usually requires additional revenue funding, when the capital investment will increase the value of the premises. This represents a potential ongoing cost to the ICB because GP contractors are entitled to request reimbursements of their premises costs, including rent.
Such decisions are kept under constant review, and the ICB continues to listen and engage with the practice and its staff, and with interested parties from across the community in Sherston, around all aspects of local health provision.
As set out in the 10-year plan, to support ICBs with longer-term planning, the Government will introduce multi-year capital budgets, set on a rolling five-year basis, in line with wider Government capital allocations. Further detail will be set out in due course.