A TOTAL of £75,000 will be spent on revamping GP surgeries in the Worcester area as part of a drive to attract more family doctors.

The cash is a slice of £55m set aside by the Government to improve ageing buildings and build new surgeries where necessary.

It follows last week's announcement that GPs will be paid a £5,000 bonus to work in Worcester, where there is a shortage of doctors.

Worcestershire Health Authority has been given £75,000 to tackle the physical problems of outdated surgeries and create space for more GPs. A large chunk of the new cash is likely to be spent in Worcester in recognition of the fact the Faithful City is "under staffed".

The department admits that many GP's surgeries are more than 30 years old and 80 per cent are too cramped to provide modern services.

"For too long many poorer communities have been starved of proper investment in primary care services," said Health Secretary Alan Milburn.

"This extra cash for primary care will help to tackle decades of neglect. It will help to deliver more GPs in training and in employment in the NHS.

"I hope it will attract more family doctors into those parts of the country which for many years have been short of GPs."

Mr Milburn said the £55million package was expected to benefit around 2,000 GPs in 600 surgeries over the next two years. Six areas - but none in Worcestershire - will be allowed to use private cash to build new surgeries and lease them to GPs, pharmacists or dentists.

The LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trusts) initiative will gradually be extended to other areas, offering GPs more flexible lease arrangements.

The Evening News revealed earlier this week the "golden hello" scheme which will offer a £5,000 incentive to GPs moving into Worcester.

The bonus is on top of a standard £5,000 payment for every new general practitioner, regardless of where they work. The Government has pledged to provide an extra 2,000 GPs by 2004, but the British Medical Association says 10,000 more are needed.