Huddersfield's top doctor has welcomed NHS plans to let GPs work in a more “old fashioned” way.

A new contract between GPs and the Government was agreed last week. Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the move would see a “return to the old-fashioned values of family doctors”.

The changes will mean every person aged 75 and over will be assigned a named GP to co-ordinate their care.

GPs will also take on more responsibility for out-of-hours care and continuing care, to keep those with complex health problems out of A&E.

Dr Steve Ollerton, chairman of NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG and a part- time GP in Skelmanthorpe, hailed the new agreement. He said: “The focus of recent reform is to put the patient at the heart of the NHS and the new GP contract reflects this.

“Older members of our society generally have more health needs and it’s right that GPs take on the co-ordination role for the services which keep these vulnerable patients as well as they can be.

“Supporting these people keeps them away from hospital and in their own homes where they retain independence.

“Other aspects of the contract give GPs flexibility to work with patients according to individual need and cuts bureaucracy, giving us more time to spend with our most needy patients.

“I believe this will allow us to deliver better care in terms of access and quality of service and these are key targets for every Clinical Commissioning Group.”

Concerns had been raised over the quality of out-of-hours care since a 2004 GP contract enabled family doctors to opt out of night and weekend care by sacrificing �6,000 a year in salary.

Mr Hunt said the new measures were the “first step in reversing” these “disastrous changes”.

He said: “I think this is a return to the old-fashioned values of family doctors and I think both patients and doctors will see this as a big step forward.

“We can’t do it all at once, it’s a big, big change, but I think we need to start with these groups of people who are the most vulnerable.

“Really, what I want this to be is a much bigger change, so that everyone feels when they contact their GP they’re talking to someone that knows about them and their family.

“I think what patients really want is someone who really knows them, knows their condition, knows their family, knows what they went into hospital about last year, and can therefore deliver them better tailored personalised care,” he said.