Access to general practice services in England has been a prominent theme in recent issues of the BJGP. Simpson and colleagues1 outlined the historical context of current policy to extend practice opening hours in the evenings and at weekends. Campbell and Salisbury2 examined the conceptual foundations of access to health care. Ford and colleagues3 reported empirical work on patient preferences for additional opening hours, while Scantlebury and colleagues4 modelled general-practice-level determinants of emergency department visits. We extend this discussion below, focusing on the UK government’s controversial commitment for all patients in England to be offered GP appointments between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week, by 2020.