FOUR GPs handle out-of-hours cover on weekday nights for Oxfordshire’s 600,000 residents, it emerged last night.

From midnight to 8am, Monday-Friday, four GPs are on hand to give on-call medical attention to the whole of the county.

NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s primary care trust, last night pointed out GP numbers increased at busier times, such as weekends.

In November, health bosses encouraged people who felt ill during the night to ring the out-of-hours line rather than going to casualty.

The release of staffing figures comes as NHS Oxfordshire revealed it has received more than 50 complaints about its out-of-hours service in the last 18 months.

Meningitis victim Shazia Ahmed, 25, and her family called out-of-hours doctors twice before she was eventually taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

She died later and Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust and Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust (ORH) admitted earlier diagnosis may have led to a different outcome. The case is now under investigation.

Shazia friends, LeTisha Elllis, from Garsington, said: “I do not think four GPs is enough and I don’t think the county is getting adequate care or cover.

“Shazia would still be here if they had known what was wrong with her sooner.”

In 2004, family doctors were allowed to opt out of night and weekend work, and now the call-outs are carried out by GPs, who are contracted by a private company.

During the night, patients are put through to a call handler who can put them in touch with a GP or nurse for a phone consultation.

They may be asked to go to an out-of-hours base – such as East Oxford Health Centre – or a doctor could make a home visit.

The other alternatives are for patients to go to accident and emergency departments at the JR or Horton, or call an ambulance.

Last night, NHS Oxfordshire said GP provision changed depending on the time of the day or even the month, and the trust said weekends could lead to more calls.

The trust said four receptionists, three call handlers and a specialist emergency care practitioner were also on hand.

A spokesman added: “The activity levels overnight are the lowest in comparison with the entirety of the out-of-hours period and hence staffing levels will necessarily reflect this.

“The staffing for the busier period in out-of-hours would be up to 28 clinicians – 20 GPs and eight specialist paramedical and nurse practitioners.”

The trust expects about 63 calls a night during the week. Its on-call doctors are based at Witney, Banbury, Oxford and Abingdon.

NHS Oxfordshire said 35 formal complaints were made in the last financial year about out-of-hours services. It has already received 23 complaints so far this year.

Anita Higham, a member of the Oxfordshire Link health watchdog, said: “To me the number of GPs seems adequate. If anything looks out of place or causes concern we will go like the Dickens to sort it out.”