The primary care utilisation and modernisation fund (UMF), announced in the 2024 autumn budget, represents a significant investment in the future of general practice in England. With £102 million allocated for 2025–2026, the fund aims to modernise GP premises, enhance infrastructure, and increase capacity to deliver additional patient appointments.
As over 1,000 GP practices across England embark on improvement projects, the role of effective project management becomes not just beneficial, but essential.
What is project management?
Project management is the structured application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver projects effectively and efficiently. In the context of GP premises improvements, it ensures that upgrades are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards—while minimising disruption to patient care.
Without robust project management, even well-funded initiatives can falter. Poor planning, unclear objectives, and inadequate stakeholder engagement can lead to delays, cost overruns, and missed opportunities to improve patient services.
Aligning with UMF objectives
The UMF is not just about bricks and mortar; it’s about transforming how care is delivered. The fund prioritises:
- Enhancing the use of existing infrastructure
- Creating additional physical capacity for the GP workforce
- Enabling more patient appointments
- Improving the working environment for staff
Key elements of effective project management:
- Clear scope and objectives: Every project should begin with a well-defined scope. What exactly is being improved? Is it the addition of new consultation rooms, the refurbishment of waiting areas, or the installation of digital infrastructure? Clear objectives help avoid scope creep and ensure that all stakeholders are aligned.
- Stakeholder engagement: GP premises are multifaceted environments involving clinicians, administrative staff, patients, and external contractors. Effective project management includes early and ongoing engagement with all stakeholders to understand needs, manage expectations, and foster collaboration.
- Risk management: Construction and refurbishment projects carry inherent risks; delays in materials, unforeseen structural issues, or disruption to services. A good project manager identifies potential risks early and develops mitigation strategies to keep the project on track.
- Budget control: With finite UMF funding, cost control is critical. Project managers must ensure that spending is monitored closely, value for money is achieved, and any financial risks are flagged early.
- Timeline management: Many GP practices will need to remain operational during improvement works. Project managers must develop realistic timelines that minimise disruption to services while ensuring timely delivery.
- Quality assurance: The end goal is to create safe, functional, and welcoming environments for patients and staff. Quality assurance processes ensure that the finished premises meet regulatory standards and user expectations.
Key points to think about
The timescales for the completion and delivery under UMF is tight, with many ICBs working towards a completion date of 31 December 2025. To support the delivery of your project you may wish to consider:
- Appointing a dedicated project lead: someone with the authority and time to coordinate activities and liaise with contractors and the ICB.
- Using professional support: such as architects, quantity surveyors, and project consultants who understand the healthcare environment.
- Maintaining flexibility: being prepared to adapt plans in response to emerging needs or challenges.
Conclusion
The UMF offers the opportunity to modernise GP premises across England. But funding alone is not enough. To turn investment into impact, practices must embrace the principles of good project management. By doing so, they can ensure that their improvement projects are not only delivered efficiently but also contribute meaningfully to better patient care and a stronger primary care system.
Project management is not an optional extra, it’s a critical enabler of transformation.
