A DOCTOR who has been forced to hold his GP practice in a portable building in Leigh because of a funding crisis has handed in a petition to health chiefs.

More than 600 people have signed the petition calling for money to be made available to complete the second phase of development of the new Leigh Health Park.

Twenty thousand patients, four practices and 10 GPs will be affected if the second phase of development at Old Henry Street does not get off the ground.

Dr Stephen Fox, who has been running his Foxleigh Family Surgery with 2,000 patients from a wooden shed in Henry Street, presented the petition to Ashton, Leigh and Wigan NHS chief executive, Peter Rowe, along with MP Andy Burnham last Friday.

Last week, Mr Burnham held talks with Health Minister John Hutton about the funding crisis of Leigh's GP facilities.

And Mr Burnham is hopeful that a solution to the funding crisis will be found by Mr Hutton - with an announcement expected as early as next week.

He said: "John Hutton took our point about the problems which Leigh GPs have been facing and he said he would look into the matter. Leigh desperately needs new GP facilities. Many of our doctors are operating from buildings dating back to the 1950s and 60s. Leigh is an area which has real needs and I made this point to Mr Hutton.

"It is not an ideal situation for Dr Fox to be holding his surgery from a portable building. Without adequate facilities, we will not be able to attract the best GPs to come and live and work in Leigh."

Dr Fox said a letter from health boss Peter Rowe, regarding problems of funding to PCTs from the Department of Health -- and asking doctors not to sign any contracts - had come as a body blow.