AN extra 61,000 appointments look set to be created at GP surgeries across Bolton under innovative new plans.

Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed in principle to pump millions of pounds into improving the borough’s 50 surgeries — and has made increasing the number of appointments available to patients its priority for 2015.

It is hoped that patients will be treated quicker and will not need to go to hospital — saving the NHS money and resources.

Under proposals, £3.1 million will be invested into GP practices, enabling every surgery in the borough to open until 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

Dr Wirin Bhatiani, chairman of the CCG, said: "Nationally everyone is looking to Bolton to see how it is going to work here. Other people around the country will want to copy what we are trying to do.”

More doctors will be appointed and bosses will specialise care for different parts of Bolton, depending on what the needs of local residents are.

Each GP surgery will be set targets to increase the number of appointments available to patients, with health bosses aiming to improve access to GPs by 5.5 per cent — equivalent to more than 61,000 appointments each year.

Su Long, chief officer at the CCG, told councillors on the Health and Wellbeing Board of Bolton Council that the investment would make a "noticeable difference" to residents in the town looking to see a doctor.

Bosses are not currently considering opening GP surgeries in the evenings or at weekend — instead focusing on boosting services during the core hours, meaning more patients should be able to be seen on the same day as they phone in.

She said: “The proposals within this mean some real benefits to Bolton people.

“We have gone really strong on access and are aiming to increase capacity, with more than 60,000 extra appointments per year for people in Bolton.

“We want to improve the experience for our patients, we want people to be in better health because they get better care earlier.”

While a £3.1 million investment is necessary, health bosses say they think savings of £3.8 million are achievable in the first year, if practices meet their targets.

GPs will be given money depending on how patients rank them in an "experience survey" and the number of appointments being offered, under proposed new standards.

Dr Bhatiani said more needs to be done to encourage student doctors to specialise in general practice and come to work in Bolton.

He said: “There is agreement nationally that investment in primary care has lagged behind, and it is now accepted that we need to change that.

"There aren’t any great ideas how to do it.

“We need more medical professionals — more doctors and nurses.

“General practice has become a really unattractive job. Students don’t want to deal with the stress of it.

“The great thing about this is we have devised a method which will look at improving standards.

“If people don’t feel and see the difference, that will be a major disappointment.”

The CCG will now work with NHS England, Bolton Council, and Public Health England to finalise the standards and confirm the details of a proposed new agreement with Bolton GPs.