FIRST, it was Spanish nurses, then hospital doctors from Spain who were brought in to help our ailing health service fight a staff crisis.

Now, East Lancashire looks like getting Spanish GPs to deal with its shortage of family doctors.

But while the fact that health bosses are again resorting to tapping Spain's surplus of medical staff points to the need for a cure for the problem of Britain not producing enough doctors and nurses of its own, as a stop-gap measure there is nothing wrong with the idea.

More than three years ago, a study by the East Lancashire Area Health Authority showed our region was heading for a crisis as many of its GPs were reaching retirement age.

At the time, the health authority report said innovative solutions would be needed and the recruitment of Spanish GPs is part of a pioneering pilot scheme to deal with a crisis that is evident when family doctors in our region have an average caseload of 2,000 patients.

When even "golden hello" payments of £10,000 introduced to lure recruits to disadvantaged areas do not seem to be working, then extra steps need to be taken.

It is fortunate for us that Spain has an over-provision of medical staff and that they can fit in well with British people and medical practices.

But is a grim commentary on our own failings when a country with a smaller economy than ours can do so much better over the provision of medical staff.