DoH announces more GPs for ‘deprived areas’

The Department of Health (DoH) has published plans that aim to improve the availability of GPs for citizens living in “deprived areas”. The government has announced that the first four areas to take part in this scheme are Hartlepool, Country Durham, Ashfield and Great Yarmouth.

Fairness in Primary Care Procurement aims to increase the number of family practices, minor injury units and walk-in centres in these areas for an initial five year period, with an option available for a longer extension of these contracts.

Patricia Hewitt, health secretary, said: “GPs are largely providing a good service, but there are still areas where NHS patients cannot rely on traditional practices.

“We now want to help the NHS plug the last remaining gaps by introducing new services, reducing the pressure on existing practices and giving patients the choice they deserve.”

She added that this new programme will benefit patients that have previously found it difficult to make an appointment with a GP, noting that the new contracts also include increased opening hours at evenings and Saturday mornings.

The DoH reports that it aims to promote innovative thinking to improve the reach of NHS services to make them more responsive to patient needs.

Earlier this month, the department announced an annual investment of two million pounds each year as part of a plan to establish a Primary Care Research Network to enable patients to benefit from novel medical treatments from their GP.