HEALTH bosses will be ringing around doctors' surgeries to check they are giving patients a new out-of-hours hotline number.

A new rota comes into force tomorrow when doctors will no longer be expected to work unsocial hours.

But before it starts bosses at Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust want to check surgeries have put the emergency number on their answerphones.

A 'rapid response' team of nurses has been set up to assess patients who fall ill in the night to see if a doctor is required and there is a 24-hour helpline.

Trust non-executive director Sonia Bramley-Haworth raised concern that people may not use the out-of-hours service and dial 999 instead.

But board member Alan Crowther said patients would not be able to call ambulances out to non-emergencies.

He said: "Calls to the ambulance service are already categorised 'A, B and C' so if a patient phones 999 they will get NHS Direct back.

"It doesn't stop them turning up at A&E but everything is joined up, there shouldn't be loopholes to get round the system."

The out-of-hours service number is 08452 262626.