The prime minister will today promise a Conservative government would give everyone access to a GP seven days a week by 2020, while announcing all patients will have a ‘named GP’ from April next year.

David Cameron will make the announcements at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, the party said last night.

A statement said that in 2015-16, £100m would be invested in improving access to GPs between 8am and 8pm and at weekends, under a second phase of the “prime minister’s challenge fund”. The first part was announced at the party’s conference last year.

It added: “The prime minister will today commit to delivering seven day a week access for everyone in the country by 2020.

“This is expected to cost £400m in set up costs, spread over the next five years.”

It would be funded “from existing budgets”, the Conservatives said.

The party also revealed that details of the 2015-16 GP contract would be announced later today, and would include the extension of the government’s “named GP” policy to all patients.

In the current financial year, GP practices are required under their contracts to identify a “named” or “accountable GP” for patients over 75.

The statement said: “The government will also be bringing back named GPs for everyone, which were abolished by the last Labour government. This will mean every person in the country having a named GP who is responsible for their care outside hospital. It will form part of the new GP contract that the NHS Employers are expected to announce later today.”

Mr Cameron was expected to say: “People need to be able to see their GP at a time that suits them and their family.

“That’s why we will make sure everyone can see a GP seven days a week by 2020.”

The government has not stated how many practices would have to be open for longer, but indicated practices in each area would be expected to group together and ensure their whole population has weekend and 12 hour daily access.

In May, Labour leader Ed Miliband announced that a Labour government would give patients a right to get a GP appointment within 48 hours.

However, today’s Conservative announcement will be seen as the party’s response to last week’s high profile announcement by Mr Miliband that he would invest £2.5bn in the NHS to pay for thousands of additional nurses, GPs, midwives and careworkers.

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Cameron promises weekend access and 'named GP'