Health Secretary wants every older patient to have named GP to look after them Jeremy Hunt urges NHS Trusts to 'champion elderly patients' A&E staff know patients better than their doctors, says Health Secretary Nine in then trusts only have one senior A&E consultant at weekends By Emily Davies Jeremy Hunt wants every older person to have a named GP who will be responsible for their health. One reason emergency departments have become busier in the past decade is a rise in frail, elderly patients with a number of complicated illnesses. And GP cover is so bad that in some cases A&E staff know patients better than their own doctors, according to Mr Hunt. Hope for help: Jeremy Hunt wants to give extra support to elderly and vulnerable patients by assigning them a designated GP The Health Secretary believes these patients would be much less likely to end up in hospital if they were properly looked after by family doctors or district nurses in their own homes - because their health would not suddenly deteriorate. He also wants to free family doctors from paperwork so they have more time to see patients - particularly out-of hours when many go to casualty instead. Mr Hunt wants older patients and anyone with serious long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or dementia to have a named doctor responsible for their health. The GP would be tasked with conducting regular check-ups and liaising with relatives and carers about the patient's treatment. They would also have to ensure patients have contact details for an out-of-hours doctor they could reach when the surgery is closed. Patient support: The Health Secretary believes elderly patients would be much less likely to end up in hospital if they were properly looked after by family doctors or district nurses As well as keeping track of patients in hospital, the minister argues that GPs should also be involved in the care of those who go into residential care. To aid these proposals Mr Hunt hopes to negotiate new contracts with GPs because he claims those introduced under the last government allow many doctors to avoid offering out-of-hours care. Mr Hunt wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "We need a much better way for vulnerable old people to journey through the NHS. They need someone from the service to be keeping tabs and championing them through the system all the time - and making sure they're a name not a number, whether or not they are in hospital. As a member of the public I would like that responsible person to be my GP. He added: "GPs don't want it to be this way, and are themselves working harder than ever before. But sadly the 2004 contract changes undermined the personal link between GPs and their patients, as well as imposing a whole range of bureaucratic burdens. Increasing numbers: 21.7million people were admitted to A&E last year, a 50 per cent rise in ten years Last year, 21.7million people attended A&E departments, compared to just over 14million in 2002/3. Many are elderly patients with a long-term condition such as angina, lung disease or diabetes -which has worsened because it is not being properly treated. Ministers will soon outline proposals to help emergency departments cope with the higher demand they face in the winter months and have allocated an extra £500million to NHS trusts. Mr Hunt has said ensuring decent care is given outside hospitals should have equal priority to delivering basic care and respect within hospitals. His remarks are part of a strategy to prioritise patients" interests over those of NHS staff. Labour has said the Government has failed to support the NHS and warned of a crisis to come in A&E departments. Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, told the Daily Telegraph: "In Jeremy Hunt's first year in office, nearly one million people waited more than four hours in A&E. Ministers have left it too late and until they face up to the fundamental causes - the collapse of social care and front-line job losses - the NHS will continue to struggle. But Mr Hunt has said the Coalition is not to blame for the increased pressure on A&E units which he said is simply down to the ageing population.