IF IN doubt, dial 999 was the message to upper Wensleydale residents concerned about out-of-hours GP cover.

Top officials from health organisations attended the area parish forum to defend the new system of providing doctors at nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Residents claim the system, introduced on April 1, has failed on several occasions and left them worried about what to do in a medical emergency.

Changes in the telephone system, which made summoning help easier, were welcomed. Callers who dialled the Aysgarth surgery out of hours were now transferred automatically to North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors.

More than 100 residents attended the forum at Hawes market house on Wednesday, when the panel included Chris Long, chief executive of Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust, who had cancelled a trip to Belfast to be there.

Alongside him were Ian Robertson, chief executive of NYED; Jayne Barnes, chief executive of Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service; Clive West, practice manager at the Central Dales doctors' practice; and GPs from Aysgarth and Catterick.

There was strong criticism from some professionals of community leaders and the D&S Times, whom they claimed had misrepresented the situation. But many residents who attended the meeting stressed that their fears were real.

Most were worried about having to travel to the primary care centre at Catterick Garrison, rather than Aysgarth surgery.

One had had to drive her child, who was having an asthma attack, to Catterick at 1am. "It was very daunting driving all that way with my sick daughter. I was panicking a bit as well," she said. "I didn't need a home visit, but would have been quite happy to drive to Aysgarth."

Diane Horner, from Hawes, was concerned that NYED doctors would not be aware of the medical history of her husband, who suffered from a rare, complicated and serious illness.

Mr Robertson said three patients had been seen at Aysgarth since April 1, out of a total of 77 out-of-hours calls to the surgery. The ratio of home visits was the same as he would have expected before the new arrangements began.

A patient survey showed that, of 21 who responded, 15 were very satisfied and five were satisfied with the NYED service; one was neutral. Mr Robertson said anyone with complaints should contact him personally.

Coun John Blackie stressed that no-one had criticised the Central Dales practice, but the complaints were about the robustness of the out-of-hours service introduced by the Government.

Hawes resident Anne Wood praised the doctors at the surgery, who offered an "exceptional" service.

However, there was concern at advice to dial 999 if patients were unsure of the severity of the emergency.

Mrs Barnes said the ambulance service was "not just there for life-saving" and paramedics and control staff could offer advice.

"If you are not sure, dial three nines," she said. "You can be put on to a GP if an emergency ambulance is not needed. You should never worry, ever, about ringing three nines."

Coun Blackie said many people were unwilling to tie up the Bainbridge ambulance on a non-life-threatening incident, but Mrs Barnes said 999 control would decide whether it was life-threatening.

Mr Long said the NYED system had worked well for several years in Swaledale, the North York Moors and other sparsely-populated parts of the county.

Criticism was levelled by GPs at the D&S Times for highlighting residents' fears and complaints, which they said could dissuade doctors from working in the area and cause recruitment problems.

* Parts of the meeting were recorded by BBC Radio 4 for an item about out-of-hours GP cover in the You and Yours programme to be broadcast on Wednesday at noon.