THOUSANDS of patients in Sussex will be offered evening and weekend GP appointments following a major government investment.

More than £5m is being ploughed into NHS services in the county over a two-year period as part of moves to improve access to services.

The move is part of a national drive to make it easier for people to see a GP, nurse or primary care professional, or speak to one by phone, video or email.

Some of the money has already been allocated to Brighton and Hove, which has set up the extended primary care scheme to improve access for patients.

The idea is to reduce pressure on the accident and emergency department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and overstretched GP services in the city by making more services available at convenient times.

Other plans include releasing funding for the redevelopment of a former sports centre in Crawley to house a new practice offering a range of services.

New practices or extensions will also be built in the Worthing and Littlehampton areas.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “The NHS is moving with the times. By keeping in touch with how people live their lives, far more NHS services, tests and treatments will be offered closer to people’s homes at times that suit them.”

“GPs have always been the foundation of the NHS and are at the centre of our plans to move more care in to the community.

“We are supporting them to work innovatively to deliver 21st-century patient care.”

Care Minister Norman Lamb added: “We want to have a fairer society, and that means better care, closer to home for everyone.

“This announcement helps patients get easier access to their GP. Our investment in out of hospital care will not only improve and join up services where people live but also keep people healthier in the community for longer.”