Doctors' Surgeries Are Told To Open All Hours
Some 7.5 million people will be offered increased access to their doctors outside of work hours under a new £50m GP Access Fund.
Video: £50m Fund To Extend GP Hours
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Failing to care for people at home means they will end up going to hospital, said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as the Government unveiled plans to extend GP opening times.
Video: Increased Access To GPs
EnlargePatients will be able to visit their GPs outside of work hours under plans announced by David Cameron to boost access to family doctors.
More than 7.5 million people will have increased access to GP services as part of the £50m GP Access Fund, including late night and weekend appointments.
The plan will see extended surgery opening hours, as well as new consultation methods including video and email.
The fund will benefit patients at 1,147 GP practices across England.
The Prime Minister has also announced plans to enhance care services for the elderly.
He said some 800,000 people over the age of 75 and those with serious health complaints will receive tailored care, coordinated by one local GP.
"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," Mr Cameron said.
"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.
"This is an important step and good news for patients."
Around 500,000 people were originally thought to benefit from the cash fund, but due to high levels of interest it has been rolled out to cover more GP services, a Department of Health spokesman said.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News: "The evidence I think is that for people who working hard, who have busy lifestyles, maybe working long hours, doing shift work over the weekends, often they would like to be able to contact their GP by email, and if we can find a way that doesn't overwhelm GPs, then I think that would be something that people would really welcome.
"We do recognise that GPs and nurses in the community work extremely hard.
"But I think it's a false economy if we don't invest in out-of-hospital care - because in the end if you don't look after people well when they're at home, they end up having to go to hospital and that ends up being worse for them and costing the NHS more as well."