GPs in England will have to guarantee same-day appointments for any patient with urgent health needs, under a new clause being added to their contract. The government said the changes would ensure everyone who needs to be seen quickly would be. Extra funding is being provided – equivalent to a 3.6% boost above inflation – to help fund the new commitment. But the British Medical Association said the government was at risk of creating unrealistic expectations given how stretched GP services already were. GPs already set aside a chunk of their daily appointments to try to ensure patients who need an immediate appointment can get one. But, currently, there is no requirement to measure how many patients who need a same-day appointment get one. From April it will become a contractual requirement to monitor this and achieve it in 90% of cases. The 10% leeway is being built in to reflect that some patients may not be able to make a same-day appointment or may call too late in the day to be realistically given one.…