THURROCK surgeries could be open seven days a week under a government plan.
The Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled the plan at his party conference on Monday and stated that: "Everyone will have access to a GP seven days a week by 2020.
The PM added: "It will unveil a revolution in the family doctor service, so that busy patients will no longer struggle to fit in visits to their GP with childcare and work commitments.
More money will be pumped into the NHS so that more surgeries can open outside office hours – from 8am to 8pm".
And doctors will be required to band together so that they can take it in turns to open at weekends – giving all patients access to a GP on Saturdays and Sundays.
The reforms are a response to growing concern over the quality of out-of-hours care.
Many claim that Labour’s botched 2004 contract allowed GPs to opt out of responsibility for patients outside office hours and at weekends.
But while the plans will be welcomed by patients, doctors themselves are likely to warn that there simply are not enough staff to open at weekends and keep the level of service the same during the week.
There will also be concerns that practices will simply employ expensive locum GPs to cover the extra opening hours.
As well as seven-day-a-week access and evening opening hours, Mr Cameron said family doctors will also be encouraged to try out services to suit modern lifestyles, such as greater use of Skype, email and phone consultations. They will also offer electronic prescriptions and online booking of appointments and registration.
And every patient will be given a named GP responsible for their care outside hospital.
Dr Peter Swinyard, chairman of the Family Doctor Association, said: ‘It’s not realistic to talk about GP services opening from 8 until 8, seven days a week – that’s the bottom line.’
