A HEAVILY pregnant mother who was told she would have to take her ill toddler 15 miles to another town's hospital because no late night doctors were available has criticised out-of-hours care.

Charlotte McClean, 25, from Darlington, was horrified when she rang an NHS helpline to ask for assistance last Sunday night to be told that she would have to take her son to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, if she wanted to see a nurse or doctor.

Mrs McClean was worried because her two year old son, Leo, was in pain because of a suspected ear infection.

Instead of being told a doctor or nurse would visit her home, she was told local urgent care facilities had shut and was offered an appointment in Middlesbrough.

Mrs McClean said it was fortunate they had access to a car, but added: "It was ridiculous. A few years ago you would have got a GP."

She rang her GP just after 9pm last Sunday night. Her call was put through to the out-of-hours phone line operated by private company Prime Care, in Stockton.

She was told that because the walk-in health centre in King Street, Darlington, closed at 8pm and the out-of-hours GP based at Darlington Memorial Hospital clocks off at 10pm, the only option for urgent, rather than emergency care, was to take her son to The James Cook.

Her mother, Liz Kneale, who is the South Durham branch secretary of health union, Unison, said: "I didn't realise there isn't any urgent care provision in Darlington after 10pm. It's no wonder that people are going to the accident and emergency department at Darlington Memorial."

Mrs McClean was seen by an urgent care practitioner at The James Cook hospital.

Carole Harder, director of service provision for Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT), said it was aware of patient concerns about access to the current out-of-hours service after 10pm and had been working hard to develop plans for a more local service.

"The board is preparing to consider a detailed business case that would give patients access to a Darlington-based out-of-hours service operating out of the walk- in centre early next year," she added.

A PCT spokesman said that genuine medical emergencies would get a "blue light" emergency vehicle response.