General satisfaction with GP services is high, but significant numbers of patients consistently tell us that improving access to GP services should be a priority for the NHS, GP hours row 'may split NHS' (Oxford Mail, February 5).

This includes not just greater choice of appointment times and faster access to GPs, but continuing improvements in the ability to book advance appointments.

The Government wants to work with all GPs to achieve this aim.

We would like practices to provide 30 minutes of extended opening per week for every 1,000 of their registered patients.

This means three extra hours for an average-sized practice.

We will pay GPs for this by reinvesting £158m from access incentive schemes that end this year.

We have also offered a 1.5 per cent increase in investment for primary care, worth about £12,000 of new money for an average-sized practice - just over £100m nationally.

The Government is providing new funding for a health centre in each Primary Care Trust, which all existing practices, commercial and voluntary organisations will be able to bid for following an open and fair process.

Each new health centre will not only provide swift access to GP services, but will also offer bookable and walk-in services for registered and non-registered patients.

They will also increasingly bring together a wider range of services under one roof - such as pharmacy services, diagnostic services and social care - focused on promoting health and reducing health inequalities.

BEN BRADSHAW MP Minister for Health Services