Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham suggested yesterday that a Labour government must cut GP appointment waiting times to no longer than 48 hours.

Mr Burnham made his announcement at a specially convened Commons summit on the escalating crisis in hospital Accident and Emergency Departments.

He told the gathering of A&E staff, ambulance workers and social care staff that the present situation where people had to repeatedly ring up hoping for a doctor's appointment was "just not good enough."