FAMILY doctors in Burnley and Pendle could set up night-time and weekend clinics in local hospitals in a major shake-up of out-of-hours services.

A recently-formed 25-strong co-op of local GPs has already agreed to start operating out of Pendle Community Hospital next month.

The outpatients section will be used as the nerve centre for their own home visit service and for appointment-only calls by patients.

The doctors say they could extend services and open a Burnley base if more of the area's 75 GPs join them.

Out-of-hours services have been thrown into sharp focus by the withdrawal of the East Lancashire Co-ownership Deputising Service, which has operated a paid-for out-of-hours cover service for GPs for around 25 years.

Price-cutting competition from commercial rivals, including Blackburn-based Radio Doctors, has hit it hard.

Its chairman, Dr Ikram Malik of Nelson, says the group will cease activities from June 1 rather than run into losses.

The Accrington-based deputising group, covering Blackburn, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle, has arranged for a Manchester-based company, MEDS, to carry on its work. But Burnley GPs see the change as an opportunity to review their out-of-hours services and improve them.

A special meeting of doctors has decided to set up a working group to look at all the options, including linking with the existing Burnley and Pendle co-operative, or setting up an independent organisation, possibly offering services and night-time surgeries in Burnley General.

A great incentive for change comes in the form of a £440,000 Government cash treasure chest to be spent on improving out-of-hours services in East Lancashire this year.

GPs, individually or collectively, can put in bids to East Lancashire Health Authority for a share of the money.

The Burnley doctors say it is too early to say just which way they will turn but add they will keep the Community Health Council watchdog group fully in touch with developments.

Spokesman Dr James Robertson, who operates out of Burnley's St Nicholas health centre, said there was clearly a head of steam among GPs to move things forward to improve patient services.

"That is our primary concern and at the end of the day there will be a better service."

He added: "We now have a great opportunity for improvement and we will seize it."

Burnley Health Trust is keen to encourage GP involvement on its premises - not least to head off the growing and costly problem of people using the accident and emergency section as an out-of-hours doctors' surgery.

Burnley CHC chairman Coun Frank Clifford has branded present services "fragmented" and has called on GPs to work together to provide a cost efficient comprehensive and improved service for all patients in the area.

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