A SHAKE-up of an out-of-hours medical service will force patients to travel miles to be seen by a doctor, community leaders have said.

People in the Ribble Valley will no longer be seen by a doctor at Clitheroe Community Hospital after a ‘redesign’ of the 111 urgent healthcare needs facility.

It has left them having to travel to Blackburn, Burnley or Accrington.

Health bosses claim the redesigned service will ensure that patients have access to the ‘appropriate help when they need it’.

Residents previously would have most likely been seen by a doctor at Clitheroe Community Hospital if they had rung 111 between 6.30pm to 8am on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.

But after the scrapping of that service at the start of the month, patients seeking medical help once the GP surgeries are closed will now have to travel to neighbouring towns.

The scrapping of the service comes around four years after the hospital’s new £7.8 million building opened.

The move has sparked opposition from campaigners, with one claiming lives could be put at risk.

Ribble Valley’s MP Nigel Evans, who has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about the issue, said the scrapping of the service was unfair and that rural areas were getting a second-class service.

He said: “I have written to Jeremy Hunt arguing that the community hospital be open for the community to use.“Patients shouldn’t have to travel such large distances, especially if they’re elderly and disabled.

“The Ribble Valley is getting something for less and why should it get second-class services compared to urban areas?

“It’s not fair and is inadequate.”

Russ McLean, East Lancashire’s patients’ champion said: “I am appalled at this decision which has been taken without consultation of the public or patients’ group.

“This is a classic case of the people of rural areas getting treated like second-class citizens.

“Lives could also be at risk with people having to travel longer and having to wait for potentially lifesaving treatment,” said Mr McLean.

Dr David White, clinical lead for Pennine Lancashire said: “Access to the redesigned GP Out of Hours service for all patients in East Lancashire is now via Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington where there are more appointments available and direct access to telephone advice from clinicians. Patients should call 111 to access this service in the evenings and weekends.

“Additional GP access in the evenings and weekends will be rolled out across East Lancashire including the Ribble Valley and Pendle from October which will improve access to evening and weekend appointments for GP services for all patients.

“For Ribble Valley and Pendle patients, the redesigned service will ensure that patients have access to the appropriate help when they need it as previously it had been a challenge for some time to staff the smaller sites and the majority of time they were not to open.”