A WORKER said that a cut in an out-of-hours doctor's service will leave South Lakeland 'the poor relation' as a district for GP cover in Cumbria. 

Cumbria Health on Call (CHOC) operates an out-of-hours primary contract for all of Cumbria, including for services out of Westmorland General in Kendal. Access is via NHS 111 and appointments are on a pre-bookable basis. 

Sometimes people living at home in palliative care or with care support needs may require a doctor urgently but not an ambulance. 

CHOC confirmed that staff are being consulted on a change in service.

David Glover, the chief operating officer, said: "We will reduce the presence of a site-based clinician at Westmorland General Hospital between the hours of 2am and 8am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

"This is after a period of analysis that demonstrates that the requirement for the service is very much reduced and those patients who do require attention would still have access to the service they require."

However, a CHOC employee said: "They propose to run the service from Barrow and Penrith during these hours which will eliminate the doctors' base service and mobile service between these hours. 

"The service provides cover for the Kendal area which includes High Bentham in North Yorkshire, Grasmere and Backbarrow. 

"Will patients be required to travel to Barrow or Penrith to see a GP instead of Kendal and how will patients get timely home visits? Should CHOC not meet its obligation, particularly on urgent calls, will more pressure be placed on the Ambulance Service?

"Quite rightly organisations review their services but even though demand may not be high geography and rurality should be considered as part of the process which seems to be forgotten."

The worker said that because the Westmorland General Urgent Treatment Centre closes at 10pm, it leaves the district 'the poor relation in this most rural county.' 

For places such as Grasmere, it takes more than an hour to drive from Furness General.

The South Lakes MP Tim Farron launched a petition last week to maintain CHOC's current hours at Westmorland General.

He said: "This reduction in our local health service is completely unacceptable and must be stopped.

“It is not acceptable to put vulnerable people, including those receiving palliative care, families caring for loved ones with dementia and patients with learning difficulties, in a position where they will have to wait much longer to receive care – especially those in our most rural areas."

Craig Harris, chief of strategy, commissioning and integration at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “We are aware of the proposal by Cumbria Health on Call (CHoC) to relocate the on-call GP service currently based at Westmorland General Hospital to Barrow-in-Furness.

“There is currently little to no activity between 2am and 8am Tuesday to Thursday at Westmorland General, whereas services in Barrow are struggling to meet demand. CHoC has confirmed that if anyone is in need of a face-to-face appointment during these hours the GP from Penrith can be with them in around 30 minutes.

“We do however understand the concerns raised. The contract for this service has been inherited by the ICB and does not specify the locations of staff. We will work with CHoC to ensure a satisfactory service is available for all people living across South Cumbria, no matter what part of the area they are in.”