Patients are to be guaranteed a surgery appointment within 24 hours as part of plans to give GPs new contracts.

BBC: GPs to promise next day appointments

But as part of those contracts, GPs will be required to ensure every patient is guaranteed a surgery appointment within 24 hours.

BBC: GPs to promise next day appointments

When a patient calls 111, an operator - who is trained in the same way as a 999 operator - can send out an ambulance, put someone straight through to a nurse, book an out-of-hours GP appointment, or direct the caller to a pharmacist or dentist.

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