Patients will be able to visit their GPs at evenings and weekends at 12 new surgeries around England, under new government plans.

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, will announce proposals today for the extra practices in poorly served areas, as well as for a £105 million investment in existing GP practices.

The 12 primary care trust areas gaining a new GP practice will be Rotherham,

Enfield, Bury, South Birmingham, Telford & Wrekin, Newham, Gateshead, Coventry Teaching, Bristol, North Somerset, Middlesbrough and East Lancashire. GPs across the country reluctantly agreed to accept extended opening hours, averaging three hours a week, in March after bitter wrangling with the Government.

Some areas currently have only 43 GPs per 100,000 people, compared with 88 GPs per 100,000 people in areas with the best ratios of GPs to head of population.

It is hoped the new services will reduce pressure on existing practices. The first new surgeries are expected to be open to patients within a year.

Ahead of the announcement, Mr Johnson said: “There has been some recent scaremongering about the future of GP practices. Today’s announcement shows we are not only committed to Britain’s excellent family doctor system but also to expanding it, encouraging GPs to provide more services closer to where people live, so they don’t have to make so many unnecessary trips to hospital.

“Improving access to primary care is also a key priority if we are to deliver more personalised care that meets the needs of individuals and communities, especially those in disadvantaged or deprived areas.

“Evidence shows that there is a direct link between low numbers of GP surgeries and poor health within a community,” he added.

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