Shepton Mallet has missed out on a new round of NHS funding aimed at expanding GP surgeries and increasing appointment availability, while nearby Street and Glastonbury have secured investment.

The Department for Health and Social Care announced this week that more than £102m will be shared between 1,000 GP practices across the UK to improve buildings and boost capacity. Sixteen practices in Somerset have been selected—including Glastonbury Surgery on Feversham Lane and Vine Surgery in Street.

But no Shepton Mallet surgeries are included in the list, meaning practices in the town will not benefit from this latest round of government support to modernise facilities and tackle growing demand.

The funding, secured by NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB), is intended to support Labour's ten-year plan to reduce pressure on hospitals by improving access to care in local communities.

Construction work on the successful Somerset practices is expected to begin later this year, with full details of the individual projects to follow. The funding will be used for capital improvements only—such as building new consultation rooms or upgrading outdated layouts—rather than covering staffing or day-to-day costs.

Health secretary Wes Streeting MP described the announcement as the biggest investment in GP buildings in five years, saying: "It is only because of the necessary decisions we took in the budget that we are able to invest in GP surgeries, start tackling the 8am scramble and deliver better services for patients."

Also receiving funding is Beckington Family Practice near Frome. Like Shepton, Wells has also missed out on this round of investment.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services, said the upgrades will help surgeries "bring care closer to the communities where people live".

The move follows a 2024 review by Lord Ara Darzi which found that many GP surgeries are operating in buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and which limit the care that can be provided.

So far, NHS Somerset has not confirmed how much funding each practice will receive—or why areas like Shepton were not included.