DOCTORS at a village surgery are to drop their "turn up and wait to be seen" policy in favour of an appointment system.

GPs Michael Neville and Ian Waldin will operate the new system at their practice at High Row, Gainford, from October 1. But at the latest meeting of the parish council, members expressed concerns about it, with Coun Brian Biddiscombe reminding them that when a survey was done about a year ago, about 80pc of patients wanted to retain the existing system.

The chairman, Coun Wendy Withers, said she could understand the doctors not wanting the system clogged up, but anyone with young children, as she had, usually needed to be seen straight away.

Coun Jack Diamond felt the GPs were just trying to even up their load, with Coun Ken Hodgson feeling they had been lucky to retain the present system for as long as they had.

Coun Newman Smith felt that if emergencies could be dealt with the same day then common sense told them that this system would have to be implemented.

In response, Dr Neville told the D&S Times that, from October 1, patients would need to ring the surgery to make an appointment. All patients ringing or attending before 9.30 would be given a same-day slot, usually that morning. Appointments would not be made more than a day ahead so there would be no long waits.

"There are a number of reasons for needing this system," he added. "Firstly, patients have sometimes had long waits to be seen; approaching two hours on busy mornings when many have turned up early."

Dr Neville felt this unfair on patients as well as creating overcrowding in the waiting area. It also put additional pressures on reception staff, nurses and doctors.

"From October, the doctors might be required to start shifts at the out-of-hours centre at Bishop Auckland at 6.30 and some evening surgeries will need to finish promptly at 6pm," said Dr Neville. "With the proposed system, there will effectively be a walk-in morning surgery and appointments will always be available within 24 hours.