The Liberal Democrats are calling for patients to have a new right: to see a GP within 7 days, or within 24 hours if they urgently need to.

Of course, delivering on that can’t mean copying the Conservatives’ failed approach, of just setting the targets, cutting GP numbers, and then blaming GPs when the targets are missed.

That’s why we have set out a clear plan for how the Government should step up and recruit 8,000 more GPs and free up more of their time, including by:

1. Increasing training places for GPs and medical school places across the country. 
2. Fixing the broken NHS pension rules to help experienced GPs stay in the profession.
3. Giving more prescribing rights and public health advisory services to qualified pharmacists, nurse practitioners and appropriately trained paramedics.
4. Introducing a 24/7 phone line to manage the booking of appointments more efficiently.
5. Empowering GPs to spend more of their budgets as they see fit by removing top-down bureaucracy.