SPANISH GPs are being recruited to doctors' practices across East Lancashire in an attempt to tackle a recruitment crisis in local surgeries.

East Lancashire has one of the highest vacancy rates in the north west, with only a few areas of Manchester and Liverpool having higher rates.

Health bosses today admitted the doctors may need some training to get to grips with the way the NHS works, local accents and colloquialisms but believe they will make good GPs.

Health watchdogs said the move, although not without its problems, was vital to stave off a crisis.

There is a national shortage of GPs and the numbers are especially high in East Lancashire because so many are close to retirement age, particularly in Pendle and Burnley.

It is the third time bosses have turned to Spain to find health staff, after recruiting nurses in Burnley and offering two posts to psychiatrists in Burnley, with other posts in Blackburn and Burnley hospitals likely to be filled by Spanish candidates. Twenty four Spanish doctors are in the north west this weekend being interviewed for posts in a pioneering national pilot scheme to recruit doctors from abroad, who are due to start training in February and work in May.

East Lancashire urgently wants one for Burnley, one for Blackburn and one for a new practice in Pendle, but will have to compete with the authorities from rest of the north west to attract them. It will look for more candidates in three months' time when more GPs visit.

A spokesman for the NHS Executive said: "Some of the GPs we have invited over are already working as GPs in Spain, others can't get jobs because there aren't enough vacancies in Spain, and others are working as GPs in Spanish hospitals.

"We have got the health authorities who have identified gaps in practices to send doctors with vacancies to come along and meet the candidates. We hope they will hit it off.

"We have got some excellent GPs in this area, but many are at retirement age and we need to release them. International recruitment is just one of the recruitment initiatives we are looking at. Their English language is not a problem, but there could be a problem with colloquialisms and dialect, but not their level of English. Patients can be rest assured there won't be a problem. "

East Lancashire has 15 GP vacancies, out of around 279 GPs in 114 practices.

It is particularly hard to attract GPs to East Lancashire, due to the high levels of social deprivation and the poor condition of many surgeries, but the health authority is hoping its rural nature and community feel, combined with good transport links to Manchester and Liverpool will make it attractive to candidates.

Peter Lewenz, deputy director of performance management with East Lancashire Health Authority, said: "There is a national shortage of GPs, but it is an acute shortage in East Lancashire. I think there will obviously be a huge learning curve in terms of relating to the local communities, but from what I have heard these doctors are very experienced and well aware of the kinds of problems they might encounter in a primary care setting."

Nigel Robinson, chief officer with the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council, said the nature of the job could leave the Spanish GPs feeling isolated.

"It is going to be isolated for them. Initially, getting to grips with the system is going to be pretty difficult for them, but I have no reason to doubt that the quality of the GPs will be excellent.

"If they don't do something we are going to have major problems in terms of primary care. If that means bringing doctors from abroad, then it is the lesser of two evils."

Vivien Aspey, chief executive of the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust, said: "It is difficult to recruit GPs nationally, and it is particularly difficult to recruit them in East Lancashire.

"Having said that, we have not yet reached a crisis in Blackburn. Pendle is actually in the most difficult position in East Lancashire, I believe."

To help existing GPs cope with their workload, the PCT has re-organised its work so it can spend time in most-needed areas and is also planning to renovate many of the run-down practice buildings.

Local MPs were divided over the scheme. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "This is an act of desperation. It shows the Government's lack of investment in the NHS that they are now having to scour the world for trained doctors.

"We should have been investing in training British people to be doctors in the NHS. I meet many people in the constituency who want to train in the NHS but are told that the places are all full. To be honest, it just leaves me with an empty taste in the mouth that we cannot fill the GP places with British doctors trained in the NHS.''

But East Lancashire Labour MPs Greg Pope and Gordon Prentice welcomed the recruiting campaign. Hyndburn's Mr Pope said: "This is a sensible and welcome initiative.

"Given the choice of a Spanish doctor or no GP at all, I am sure most people would have a Spaniard in the surgery every time. "

Pendle's Mr Prentice said: "Many people go to Spain. We are talking about educated, professional people who speak very good English. We need more GPs and I'm sure people want more GPs from wherever they come from."