People in Bristol now have more chance of seeing a GP outside usual office hours after most practices promised to open longer.

Out of 57 surgeries in the city, 47 will be offering longer hours, and another two will be open for limited extra hours by next month.

The extended opening hours mean that doctors in Bristol are among the most flexible in the country. Government targets required that 50 per cent of practices in the country should be offering longer opening times by the end of December 2008 but Bristol has achieved 86 per cent.

Bristol surgeries are offering a variety of new opening times, in response to the feedback they received from their patients in spring last year. Some are opening for longer in the evenings, others early morning and some on Saturday mornings. Practices can provide information on their new opening times.

Surgeries started extending their hours from last summer and by September, 35 practices were offering longer opening times.

Chief executive of NHS Bristol, Deborah Evans, said: "I want to thank our local GPs and their staff for offering patients this additional flexibility in accessing their services.

"Patients tell us that they want more convenience and choice from their family doctors – such as in the evening, at weekends or when away from home – and we are very hopeful that these changes will help achieve these wishes.

"We also hope people who are working and patients who are dependent on working relatives will find it easier to make appointments."

Patients who need to see a doctor or nurse quickly should be offered an appointment with a member of their practice team within 24 hours and those who need to see a doctor urgently should ring their GP who will assess the urgency.