ALL patients should be able to Skype their GPs, the Heath Secretary has said as he blasted health officials for standing in the way progress.

Matt Hancock plans to expand virtual GP services across the country and vows to end a “postcode lottery” for accessing care.

Mr Hancock – who became Health minister in July –uses the GP at Hand app which allows patients to have video consultations with doctors, assess symptoms, or to see a GP face to face at one of five hubs.

The service, run by private firm Babylon, runs in parts of London and planned to expand across the country.

But NHS England blocked the proposals to offer the service in Birmingham saying it cannot ensure those who sign up will still receive invitations for national screening programmes.

Mr Hancock slammed the decision and supported the new technology.

He told The Telegraph: “GP at Hand is revolutionary - it works brilliantly for so many patients and goes with the grain of how people access modern services.

“I want to see GP at Hand available to all, not based on their postcode. Where a new service challenges the system, the right response isn’t to reject the new service but to change the system. The current postcode lottery cannot continue.”

On Monday, he told staff at a Bristol hospital, technology is “mission critical” to the future of the NHS.