GP surgeries in Glastonbury, Street and the Frome area are set to get a much-needed cash boost to upgrade ageing facilities and improve the patient experience.

They're among 16 Somerset practices awarded a slice of just over £1 million from a national NHS fund aimed at fixing up struggling surgeries. The cash will be used to build or refurbish consultation rooms and make better use of existing space—though it won't go towards hiring extra staff.

Glastonbury Surgery in Feversham Lane, Vine Surgery in Street, and Beckington Family Practice near Frome are all on the list confirmed by NHS Somerset. Other surgeries across the county will also benefit, but many are still working on plans to get final sign-off.

The money comes from a £102 million national fund announced by the Department for Health and Social Care on May 6. It's part of a wider push to modernise the NHS, cut down the 8am appointment scramble, and free up 8.3 million extra GP appointments a year.

A spokesperson for NHS Somerset ICB said: "Somerset's allocation of the utilisation and modernisation fund is £1,021,000. NHS Somerset holds the funding following allocation by NHS England. This is then reimbursed to the individual GP practices, in accordance with approved business plans and up to the agreed amount to be spent."

They added: "The practices are currently getting detailed costs and submitting business cases to NHS England for approval. Planning permission is not likely to be required in most cases as the funding is for internal improvements to existing premises."

Health secretary Wes Streeting said it marked the biggest investment in GP buildings for five years.

"It will be a long road, but this government is putting in the work to fix our NHS and make it fit for the future," he said.

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"These are simple fixes for our GP surgeries but for too long they were left to ruin, allowing waiting lists to build and stopping doctors treating more patients."

"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."

"The extra investment and reform this government is making, as part of its Plan for Change, will transform our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it."