AN MP has pressed Health Minister John Hutton to make additional money available to East Lancashire GPs to enable them to meet the Government's treatment targets.

At health questions in the Commons, Burnley MP Peter Pike pointed to a number of GPs in his constituency who felt that they need better premises to take full advantage of the new contract and to offer the full range of primary care treatment the Government intend to be available.

He asked the Minister to meet him to discuss how additional money might be available to ensure that these GPs did not have to wait for five or six years before they could offer that range of treatment.

Mr Hutton replied: " I will certainly look into the situation in Burnley that he described.

"However, because of the additional investment that we are making available to the NHS, the primary care estate, the building blocks in primary care, will receive an additional £1 billion of investment over the next few years.

"That will help to transform many GP surgeries up and down the country."

Mr Pike added: "I am encouraged by the Minister's words and know that he will keep his word to look further into the matter, and will be pressing him for a meeting.