GP appointments will be longer but less frequent and smartphone apps will be the first emergency contact under radical new NHS plans for Epping Forest.

The next financial year will see big changes for local services, said Clare Morris, chief officer of the West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Visits to GP surgeries will see the biggest differences, with appointments becoming less frequent but longer and more detailed.

Ms Morris said: “I would hope to see that if somebody goes to a GP appointment they would have the ability to see a much wider range of professionals, possibly at the same time and in the same place.

“This would be without the old system of referrals, and would bring more of the workforce into this setting.”

Although patients may have to wait longer between appointments, Ms Morris said that including professionals such as social workers and district nurses in the GP surgery would give a more personal experience.

She claimed the change would also stop patients having to repeat medical information to a number of different professionals.

New technology will also help to avoid this, said Ms Morris.

She said: “We have been piloting a system called Eclipse with some of our most complex patients, it is like a Tesco reward card and it has all their medical information on it.

“They are in control of it and they can share it with any health professional, like ambulance staff.”   

Plans to extend this service are being discussed, as are new smartphone apps.

Diabetes apps that track and share blood sugar levels and emergency apps that direct patients to the nearest medical facility are being discussed, and are planned for development in the next financial year.

Despite the ambitious plans the changes will be made without any cuts to services, Ms Morris claimed, with £9m from the chancellor’s autumn statement and an additional £4m from the emergency winter fund designated for the CCG.

Next winter is already being discussed after the A&E department at the Princess Alexandra Hospital came under immense strain over the holiday period.

Computer modelling is being used to forecast demand, but the aging population means coping is extremely difficult, said Ms Morris.

She said: “It does seem to take us by surprise every year, but the demand caused by the aging, growing population this year was just unprecedented.

“At some points there were so many ambulances at one time that we needed a whole extra ward.”

In a new series on the NHS, the Guardian will feature experiences of patients, their families and staff of treatment provided across east London and west Essex. As A&Es continue to struggle with demand and politicians argue over the future of healthcare, we will publish first-hand accounts, features and news stories on the latest developments. We want to hear from you if you have something to say about your local hospital, GP surgery, or clinic. Click here for contact details of reporters covering your area. Alternatively, you can submit a story here.