Most family doctors in Braintree and surrounding villages will stop caring for their patients during out of surgery hours this year.

The GPs are ready to ditch weekend and evening cover when a new deal from the NHS begins in April.

The contract will allow GPs to pass responsibility to the Braintree, Witham and Halstead Primary Care Group, the managerial body which funds them.

A survey of the 19 practices covering the three towns and the surrounding countryside shows that all but two are ready to opt out so doctors can have more time for family life.

At present doctors who do not want to work nights and weekends buy cover from private firms or, more commonly, from GP co-operatives. The new system raises fears that medical services will suffer, particularly in rural areas.

Primary care manager Adrian Thrower admitted there would be big changes. "It will be our task to employ an organisation to provide a service on our behalf," he said.

"The present GP co-ops will fold. The real crunch is whether the GPs will want to do sessions for the new service.

"We do not want to lose all their experience and expertise, but quite a lot of them are pleased they will not have to do this any more. They are going to say no however much money we dangle. They may well believe family life is more important."

However, Mr Thrower is optimistic. "At present, a patient can wait some time for a doctor to make a home visit. But in future it may be possible to send a driver to take patients to a treatment centre with a wide skill mix, such as doctors, nurses and other therapists."

Published Wednesday December 31, 2003

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