GPs told to open doors 12 hours a day, seven days a week

Up to half a million patients are expected to be covered by a pilot project in areas across England as the Government seeks to improve access to family doctors and so cut the pressure on stretched A&E departments.

Almost one in five GP patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointment times were a concern, with more than 70 per cent backing weekend and evening opening.

The extra cash will be offered to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve access.

As well as extended surgery hours, Ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology – such as carrying out consultations with patients via video calls, email or phone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are also measures being sought from the first wave of pilots.

Mr Cameron said: “Millions of people find it hard to get an appointment to see their GP at a time that fits in with their work and family life.

“We want to support GPs to modernise their services so they can see patients from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

“We also want greater flexibility, so people can speak to their family doctor on the phone, send them an email, or even speak to them on Skype.”

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014, with the hope that they will eventually be copied widely across the country.

Around 50 GP surgeries are expected to take part in the trial. Officials said the 8am-8pm seven-day hours would not be a requirement for successful bids, but made clear that was the expectation.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will formally unveil the initiative in his keynote speech to the conference this afternoon, said: “We live in a 24/7 society, and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.”

The announcement was welcomed by healthcare professionals, despite the complaints which emerged from some GPs about being forced to work longer hours under the last government.

Dr Charles Alessi, of the National Association of Primary Care, said: “This has the potential to be the most exciting development in primary care in the last decade.

“It is an opportunity for doctors to be the good family doctors they want to be, while working with everyone in the system to deliver better care for everyone.”

But Labour described the scheme as a “U-turn of epic proportions”, highlighting the Government’s decision to scrap measures that it introduced to extend opening hours.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “This announcement is a major admission of failure.

“Under the Tories, hundreds of GP surgeries are shutting their doors earlier after David Cameron scrapped Labour’s successful extended opening scheme.”