DOCTORS have been offered a 30 per cent pay rise to treat patients out of hours.
Scarborough, Whitby and Rydale Primary Care Trust has offered the GPs a new pay and conditions deal to persuade them to work beyond normal surgery times.
The move comes after all its doctors took advantage of a clause in a new nationally negotiated contract to opt out of out-of-hours work.
Doctors will decide if the new deal is acceptable over the next two weeks.
Health bosses will then make a decision on the future of out-of-hours treatment in the area.
Michael Whitworth, chief executive of the trust, said: "These are important national changes that will, over time, provide a responsive team approach to out-of-hours urgent care and significantly improve the working lives of local GPs."
Even if the doctors agree the deal, it is expected that out-of-hours care will be mainly provided by teams of specialist doctors and nurses, rather than GPs in the future.
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