THOUGH strict defenders of the public-ownership ethic on which the NHS was founded may frown at yet more of its erosion, the latest move to inject private sector investment -- in a scheme to improve doctors' surgeries across East Lancashire -- is likely only to be regarded by patients as a welcome step.

For, according to the region's three primary care trusts, many of the premises of East Lancashire 114 GP practices are in a poor state of repair.

And the move to upgrade them is important not only because patients may enjoy waiting and being examined in more pleasant surroundings with more and better treatment facilities. It is also vital because our region needs to make every effort to make working in the primary care sector attractive to doctors and other health care professionals.

It will remembered that four years ago a health authority report highlighted the age-profile time-bomb ticking under this sector -- with so many of East Lancashire's GPs heading towards retirement age while the recruitment of new ones was proving difficult.

And with this situation forecast to hit another peak next year, this scheme to renovate and improve GP practices cannot come too soon if it helps to bring in much-needed new blood to primary care.

If that and all the other benefits are achieved, it is surely insignificant that it will entail yet more private-sector involvement in public health care -- as our primary care trusts get consent to create a business to carry out the improvements in which they will be shareholding partners with a private company.

This is a way of bringing in extra money to health care in our region, for which it might otherwise have to wait much longer -- when the need for these improvements is already evident.

How they are brought about will be of small concern to NHS users want a better service and to the doctors and health professionals in the primary care sector who want to deliver it.