Rowena Mason, political correspondent 

Doctors’ surgeries to offer out-of-hours appointments and Skype checkups

One in 10 surgeries will take part in £50m scheme but Labour says things will continue to get worse for majority of patients
  
  

Doctor issuing medication to patient
The scheme will provide funding for more personalised care for 800,000 elderly and vulnerable patients. Photograph: Alamy Photograph: Alamy

One in 10 surgeries are to offer patients the choice of seeing a GP at evenings and weekends, booking appointments online, receiving electronic prescriptions and having checkups over Skype, David Cameron will say on Monday.

The prime minister unveiled the £50m scheme in October amid fears that too many people are turning up to A&E when they cannot get appointments with their GP, putting too much pressure on emergency departments.

Doctors were invited to apply for funding, and demand for the money means seven million patients at more than 1,100 practices – rather than the 500,000 patients envisaged – will benefit from the trials from next month.

However, Labour raised concerns that the majority of people still have unacceptably long waits to see their GP because the government removed a requirement for patients to be seen within 48 hours.

Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said it had become much harder to get a GP appointment under the coalition.

"The big problem with this new plan is that it won't benefit millions of people," he said.

"For the vast majority who are outside of this scheme, things will carry on getting worse and they are being told to expect to wait a week for a GP appointment.

"No wonder more and more people are turning to A&E, which has just had its worst year in a decade."

Under the plans, more surgeries will offer seven-day opening and 8am-8pm appointments. There will also be greater use of Skype, email and phone consultations for those who would find it easier.

There will also be funding for more personalised care for 800,000 older and vulnerable patients, who will get more help, a named GP responsible for their care and same-day access to a GP when they need it.

Cameron will say: "Back in October, I said I wanted to make it easier for people to get appointments that fit in around a busy working week and family commitments.

"There has been a great response from doctors, with lots of innovative ideas, and we will now see over seven million patients given weekend and evening opening hours, alongside more access to their family doctor on the phone, via email or even Skype."

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said the plans would help free family doctors to spend more time with their sickest patients.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said the government must be careful that extra access to surgeries is not provided at the expense of availability for the most vulnerable.

He added: "Outside of those signed up to the pilot, there will still be close to 7,000 GP practices across the country who will not be receiving extra support to improve patient access or maintain current services. Furthermore, given that this funding is only for one year, there is no assurance of these changes being affordable in future years."

 

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