THANKS to David Cameron and George Osborne, Warrington is getting £3 million to make it easier to see our GPs.

More than seven million patients across the country are set to benefit from pilot schemes to improve GP access, funded by the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.

The idea is to increase opening hours at doctors’ surgeries and give patients different ways to book appointments including e-mail and Skype as well as providing some new services.

And it’s about time too. Most of our GP surgeries appear to be stuck in the dark ages with the opening times barely shifting since I was a child.

There are no allowances for working people, especially those who work some distance away like Manchester or Liverpool, and for many it means taking half a day’s holiday to see their doctor.

So in theory this cash sounds like excellent news. However, in last week’s story when the funding was announced, chairman of NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Andy Davies was not giving much away about how it will be spent.

What he did confirm was that practices will work together so at least one site within each cluster or ‘primary care home’ will provide the later hours.

Sorry Andy, but I think I speak for many of the residents of Warrington, when I say I don’t have a clue what that really means.

When I read the story what I really wanted to know (and I checked whether the information was available) is what impact will that have on me?

For each of us signed up to a certain GP practice, who are we going to be lumped together with and what doctors will we be able to see during these longer opening times?

Having a ‘family’ doctor seems to be on the way out despite most of us still wanting this. Certainly if we merge with neighbouring practices, choice is likely to be a luxury.

Andy did reveal that Penketh will be the first area to see changes but doesn’t tell us exactly what those changes are or how many people in neighbouring areas will benefit?

It certainly seems to be a step in the right direction but I’ll be watching with interest until they tell us more and we see how they spend that £3 million.

To my mind what would make perfect sense would be for GPs to work a shift system with some on an early shift and others working late on rotation, so that all their patients got the opportunity of an early or late appointment and, better still, to see someone who knows their medical history and background.

Not unreasonable for a job paying on average up to £103,000 a year.

n IT was a year in the making but my son and new daughter-in-law’s wedding just before Easter was amazing even if I did cry most of my make-up off.

A big thank you to the staff at Lymm Hotel who were so lovely and went out of their way to help us. I highly recommend it to anyone planning their future nuptials.