THE parents of a three-year-old boy suffering from meningitis say his life was saved by swift action at an out-of-hours GP service threatened with cutbacks.

Ethan Naylor was taken to the NHS service at Ripon Community Hospital, in North Yorkshire, by worried parents, David and Becky, where GPs saw spots on his body.

The boy was later treated for meningococcal septicaemia and meningitis at Harrogate District Hospital and St James's Hospital, in Leeds.

Ethan, who made a remarkably recovery, is now receiving physiotherapy at home.

His father said: "There is no doubt that the initial treatment at Ripon saved his life. They were wonderful."

Mr Naylor said that hospital staff in Leeds had told them that their colleagues in Ripon had saved Ethan's life because of their swift and effective action.

Mr Naylor said if they had taken Ethan to hospital in Harrogate vital time would have been lost.

One of the GPs, Dr Gavin McBurnie, said: "This case shows that the Primary Care Trust (PCT) has the right clinical skill mix in its out-of-hours team."

From June, it had been planned that Ripon Community Hospital's primary care centre would have just one GP available on weekend mornings - the service is now offered all day at weekends until 9pm, as well as weekday evenings.

A spokesman for the PCT said the case occured on a Saturday morning when the Ripon Primary Care Centre will continue to operate.

The case, they said, demonstrated the importance of the PCT having a professional and responsive out-of-hours service.

Controversial changes to the out-of-hours cover would affect 30,000 people in the Ripon-Masham areas with patients fearing they could have to travel to Harrogate District Hospital or Northallerton's Friarage Hospital if the cutbacks go ahead.

Proposed changes sparked protest petitions from local residents and the intervention of the then David Curry MP, who described the slimmed down service as inadequate.