SENIOR managers of the health service turned out in force at a public meeting to defend an out-of-hours system introduced in Wensleydale.

The North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors (NYED) network took over effective responsibility for cover at night and over the weekends from local GPs on April 1.

Patients who need assistance were advised, if they rang their local practice in future, an automated system would provide them with the NYED switchboard number.

Operators would take information and pass it on to a doctor who would then decide if the patient needed an ambulance, a home visit, or if they could be invited to attend a clinic either at the Central Dales Practice, in Aysgarth, or at the former Duchess of Kent Military Hospital, in Catterick Garrison.

At the time, health chiefs indicated they were confident patients would hardly notice a change.

But, by mid-April, local councillors were claiming they were already fielding complaints about the network and, on Wednesday, about 100 people turned up at the Market Hall, in Hawes, to make their views known at the regular parish forum.

The system has already been modified, with out-of-hours callers now transferred to the NYED switchboard without having to hang up and re-dial themselves.

Chief executive of the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust Chris Long cancelled a trip to Belfast so he could be in Hawes to answer patients' questions.

He was joined on a panel of senior health officials by NYED chief executive Ian Robertson, chief executive of the Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service Jayne Barnes, manager at the Central Dales practice, Clive West and GPs from Aysgarth and Catterick.

Residents raised concerns about the system, one mother said she had been told to drive to Catterick in the early hours of the morning with her daughter, who was suffering an asthma attack.

However, Mr Robertson said a survey showed that people were largely satisfied with the new service and, if anyone had a complaint, they should contact him directly.

Ms Barnes also said that if residents were in any doubt they should call an ambulance.

"If you are not sure, dial 999," she said.

"You can be put onto a GP if an ambulance is not needed.

"You should never worry, ever, about ringing 999."