MORE than 200,000 Oxfordshire patients whose GP night service co-operative collapsed have a new system to treat them.

Most GPs outside Oxford city signed up to the OXDOC (Oxfordshire Doctors On Call) co-op at the start of 1996 so each had fewer night and weekend duties.

But the scheme ran into trouble after 18 months as it ran out of cash and proved too big to manage. It folded in November.

The scheme has been replaced by three smaller versions of OXDOC, covering the northern, western and southern county areas.

Patients call their surgery as before and are put through to a calls centre. They are either given advice, asked to attend an out-of-hours' surgery or a doctor is brought to their home by a trained driver.

The cash problem has been solved after Oxfordshire Health Authority stepped in to ensure funds were properly paid.

"Patients shouldn't notice any difference in the service, except they may be more likely to see a GP they know as the co-operatives are smaller," said Andrea Young, acting commissioning manager for the health authority. The financial problem was caused by the OXDOC management undercosting how much it would cost to run.

"But the new system is going well and the financial situation is good."

The scheme is funded by each GP putting their £1,425 for out-of-hours' work they are given by the Government into the kitty.

Ms Young added that a similar co-op in Oxford, called OXCIDOCS, is still going strong. and has not suffered the same problems.

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