David Cameron outlines plans for seven-day NHS services

Prime minister David Cameron has set out a new vision to introduce seven-day NHS services over the coming years.

In his first speech since his recent election win, Mr Cameron pledged that investment into the NHS will increase by eight billion a year by the end of the current parliament in 2020, with patient access to all services – from GPs to hospital care – to be prioritised.

Key priorities outlined as part of this ambition include an increase in the number of GPs, faster access to new drugs and treatments, and a greater focus on mental health and healthy living.

Currently, mortality rates for patients admitted to hospital on a Sunday are up to 16 percent higher than on a Wednesday – despite the fact that the largest number of seriously ill patients tend to arrive at the weekend.

Mr Cameron said: "I believe that together – by sticking to the plan – we can become the first country in the world to deliver a truly seven-day NHS."

However, the British Medical Association has called the feasibility of these plans into question, describing the new funding increase as the "bare minimum" needed simply to keep the NHS going in its current state.