GPs at ten practices in Essex were each paid £80 an hour to work on New Year’s Day to help relieve the pressure on hospitals.

The NHS Essex area team approached GPs on New Year’s Eve asking them to remain open.

The request said: “You will all be aware of the significant pressure on the whole Essex health system over the last few days with all local hospitals reporting high demand and lack of beds to admit patients.

“In order to minimise the impact on hospitals, particularly A&E departments, the area team is also asking all GP practices to consider providing additional cover during the new year period; this would be funded as an exceptional one-off payment as we are asking practices to provide services outside core hours.”

Carolyn Larsen, Head of Primary for NHS England in Essex said: “A small number of practices took up the offer and provided additional non-core hours cover.

“GP practices were not obliged to open during non-core hours and we accept at short notice, practices had to consider whether they could secure sufficient staff capacity before accepting the offer.

“We would like to take this opportunity thank those GP practices who provided additional cover over the new year period.”

A separate letter to GPs from NHS England’s area team declared a black alert for A&E services, and pleaded for GPs not to refer patients to A&E if they could not be seen in the practice.

Earlier this week figures revealed Colchester General hospital was one of the worst in the country for hitting its accident and emergency waiting time targets.

From October to December, 92.6 per cent of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving. The target is 95 per cent.