Patients would have to call NHS Direct for GP care

NHS Direct would act as a "one-stop shop" for patients.

Around nine million people use family doctor services at evenings and weekends, with the elderly and parents of young children the most frequent users.

We now live in a consumer led world where services are expected 24 hours a day, seven days a week John Hutton, Health Minister

The plans follow the publication of a new GP contract last month, which will allow doctors to opt out of having to provide patient care at evenings and weekends.

Instead, local health bodies called Primary Care Trusts (PCTS) would oversee arrangements.

The millions announced today will be allocated to PCTs over three years to enable them to set up new integrated out-of-hours services.

Shift

Under the plans announced by health minister John Hutton, patients would make one call to NHS Direct.

That would then give them access to a network of doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and walk-in staff.

Mr Hutton said: "We now live in a consumer led world where services are expected 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"I believe that this shift in responsibility for arranging out of hours services from individual GPs to PCTs is right for doctors, right for patients and right for the NHS.

"Our objective should be clear. The priority must be to continue to improve the quality and responsiveness of out of hours care and to involve the widest possible range of healthcare professionals in its delivery.