THE organisation which provides vital out-of-hours GP services in York and North Yorkshire has gone into administration.

But patients have been reassured that services will continue as normal over the Christmas and New Year holidays, following the appointment of David Horner as an administrator to run North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors. (NYED)

Mr Horner, of David Horner and Co of York, business recovery and insolvency specialists, said he would be working closely with the primary care trusts (PCTs) to ensure continuity of the "vital service" and that all wages would be paid as normal.

His appointment follows the announcement earlier this month that NYED was facing "potential financial challenges".

The practical difficulties of covering a rural county meant that up to 14 GPs were required on duty at any time, compared to only three to maintain the same level of provision in urban areas.

The organisation said then it was looking to make its service as efficient as possible, with one of its duty GPs revealing that paramedics and nurses could be sent to out-of-hours emergencies previously dealt with by doctors.

Responsibility for providing out-of-hours services changed in the autumn, following the introduction nationally of new GP contracts. Most PCTs took over responsibility for such services from individual practices. North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors, an existing GP co-operative, contracted with nine PCTs and expanded its activities.

Selby and York Primary Care Trust said today that, after exploring a range of options in some detail, all parties had agreed that the most realistic way forward was for North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors to appoint an administrator.

Mr Horner said today that his appointment had been made possible through the 2002 Enterprise Act, which enabled company directors to apply for administration to allow a reconstruction to take place under the control of an independent officer.

Jeremy Clough, the trusts' chief executive, said the important priority for all the trusts involved was to ensure the out-of-hours service continued to function normally.

"We can reassure patients they will have access to out-of-hours cover over the holiday period if they require it."

Updated: 10:04 Thursday, December 23, 2004