GP surgeries in Gwent are leading the way in Wales in offering patients appointments beyond 6.30pm.

And the area’s family doctors are among the leaders in terms of opening times and periods when appointments are available.

Thirty-five of Gwent’s 81 practices were offering appointments after ‘core’ hours end at 6.30pm, according to GP access figures for 2016, published by the Welsh Government.

GP practices’ core hours are classed as 8am-6.30pm - and of the other 360 in Wales, only six others are offering appointments later than 6.30pm.

Improving access to GPs is a key target for the NHS in Wales, and the figures show that more practices are staying open throughout the core hours period.

Across Wales in 2016, 50 per cent of practices (220) remained open across their core hours five days a week, compared to 203, in 2014.

And in Gwent, the rate was 79 per cent, comfortably the highest among Wales’ health board areas.

Gwent also fares well in terms of practices that offer appointments before 8.30am.

One-in-six (17 per cent) in the area covered by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board did so five days a week in 2016 - second only to the Cardiff & Vale University Health Board area - and 11 per cent did on one day a week.

Several years ago, Gwent’s health board introduced a ‘A is for Access’ scheme to inform patients of the level of access offered by their GP practice, based on five criteria, including opening hours and appointment periods.

At the last count, 53 practices had achieved a top level 5A rating.

Wales-wide in 2016, 85 per cent of GP practices were open for daily core hours or within an hour of them, up from 60 per cent in 2011.

Health secretary Vaughan Gething said access to primary care services is “extremely important” to people and the figures show that “more appointments are available for people at more convenient times.”

Dr Charlotte Jones, who chairs the British Medical Association Wales’ GP committee, said: “GPC Wales is delighted to see how practices have worked hard to improve their accessibility to patients despite facing significant workload demand on a daily basis.

“There is always room for improvement, and making sure that practices can offer flexibility to patients is key.

“However, we must not forget that there is a lot more work needed to be done to ensure that patients are aware of the full range of professionals that can meet their needs.

“The default should not automatically be the GP.

“By addressing this, we can make sure that there is capacity in the system whereby patients who need the expertise of the practice team can access timely appointment services.”