HEALTH bosses are paying to fly in German GPs at weekends to provide out-of-hours cover for North-East patients.

The NHS is so short of doctors willing to do unpopular weekend shifts that it is turning to GPs in Germany.

The unusual emergency cover arrangements have been disclosed by Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT).

Like a number of other NHS primary care organisations across the region, Sunderland TPCT has signed a contract with private company Primecare to provide weekend GP cover.

This follows the decision by the vast majority of UK family doctors to opt out of providing out-of-hours cover for patients.

The expense of flying in German doctors, and putting them up in a hotel for the weekend, is borne by Primecare in a fixed price contract, said the TPCT.

The situation on Wearside came to light after Maggie Ashbourne, of New Herrington, near Houghton-le-Spring, called for an out-of-hours GP last weekend when her husband, Joseph, developed an infection after a knee replacement operation.

She told BBC Radio Newcastle: "We needed a doctor urgently, and a German doctor arrived who, I have to say, was absolutely wonderful."

A spokesman for Sunderland TPCT said: "It is Primecare's responsibility to utilise whatever GP resources are available to ensure that these service standards are achieved. If they require additional GPs from overseas to maintain this service, then that is a matter for them."