An extra 270 hours of doctors’ appointments have been made available across Bucks in a bid to improve access to GP surgeries.

Patients will also be given the opportunity to have an appointment via video chat or telephone, as part of the new plans.

GP surgeries in the same area will work together to provide an 8am to 8pm service, with each practice receiving an additional 30 minutes per 1,000 patients.

Bucks’ GP federation – FedBucks – will then work to provide Saturday and Sunday morning and bank holiday Monday appointments through out-of-hours providers.

The new plans form part of a national commitment to deliver a seven-day service across the country.

Speaking at a meeting of Bucks County Council’s (BCC) health and adult social care select committee on October 2, chair of FedBucks, Penny Macdonald, said: “Some people will be using a fairly traditional model of a GP sitting in a practice ready to see patients.

“Others are using a digital model, so they are allowing people who are working, or the younger population, or the older population, who are in more remote locations, to access a GP on a video consultation.

“Improved access doesn’t just mean until 8pm, it means more appointments throughout the week, but also more convenient times for people who might be working, who might value the opportunity to attend later.”

GPs across the county are split into seven “localities”, which will be charged with managing the additional hours between them.