Labour have set out plans to improve GP access by abolishing GP practice boundaries. However, Conservative plans to let GPs cut their opening hours could see more than 450 000 GP appointments lost every year in the East of England.

Bob Blizzard MP, Labour’s Deputy Regional Minister for the East of England said:

“Thanks to Labour’s reforms, families all across the East of England are now able to book GP appointments outside working hours in the evenings and at weekends. But the Tories say they would let GPs cut their hours, making it more difficult for you to see your doctor when you need to.

“This goes to show, yet again, that David Cameron’s Tories aren’t on the side of NHS users.”

Labour’s Health Secretary Andy Burnham said:

"People should take a long hard look at what the Tories say their plans are for the NHS. Evening and weekend opening hours are a keenly felt benefit for the millions of patients who need to be able to see a GP at a time that's convenient to them.

“Hard pressed families will be shocked to discover that for all his talk about understanding the concerns of real people, David Cameron is actually prepared to see the loss of more than 450 000 GP appointments at the evenings and weekends in the East of England and more than 4 million appointments across the country."