GP Plan To Bring In Out-Of-Hours Surgeries

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David Cameron has told Sky News he wants doctors' surgeries to be open for longer to ease the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

The Prime Minister confirmed plans for a ?50m trial to have surgeries open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week.

He insisted the pilot scheme in areas across England, which is expected to cover up to half a million patients, would be properly funded.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

The scheme, which was unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, 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.

Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/extended-gp-opening-hours-pilot-unveiled-225300713.html#ehtoqDz

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Nothing going to change, how come most A&E departments are closing around the country if they are over stretched for god sack live them open at list, look over 20 years a go you could phone your GP at midnight and they will come because those doctors came from Asia and have now either retired or dead and new qualified UK doctors just lazy want to make quick money and work few hours and gone home and plenty of holidays.