A £50m trial to encourage longer GP surgery opening hours has been unveiled by the Prime Minister in an attempt to cut the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.
Up to half a million patients are expected to be covered by the pilot project in areas across England which could see surgeries open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.
Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.
The scheme, which is being unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.
As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.
Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference David Cameron said: "Millions of people find it hard to get an appointment to see their GP at a time that fits in with their work and family life.
"We want to support GPs to modernise their services so they can see patients from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
"We also want greater flexibility, so people can speak to their family doctor on the phone, send them an email or even speak to them on Skype."
The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.
Similar initiatives are already being tried in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.
"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."
Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.
"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."
However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative party of "taking the NHS backwards".
"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.
"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."
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