THE out-of-hours doctors' service in Herefordshire has again been criticised after a Colwall resident was forced to make a 42-mile round trip to see a GP.

Now the parish council has written to service provider Primecare to ask if Colwall patients can be seen after normal surgery times across the county border in Malvern.

It will also ask why patients cannot be seen out of hours at Ledbury Community Hospital.

The decision to put pressure on Primecare was made at a meeting last week, where Coun Wil Leaper said: "It's a problem that could affect us all."

Councillors heard that earlier this month a Colwall resident in pain was given the option of travelling to health centres in Hereford, Kington, Leominster or Ross-on-Wye to see a doctor.

In the end, they travelled 21 miles to Ross.

Last month the Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter featured the story of a Colwall grandfather, Paul Hothersall, who was unhappy his five-year-old grandson had to travel 20 miles to Hereford to see a GP when he had a temperature of 104F.

Coun Phil Browning told the parish council that as a lot of other health services operated across the county border he did not see why out-of-hours services could not do the same.

A statement from Primecare said the out-of-hours centre at Ledbury Community Hospital had previously been open for one hour 15 minutes on Saturdays and one hour 45 minutes on Sundays.

However, Primecare decided to stop using the centre in November, when records showed its usage level was less than 25 per cent.

"Patients in the area have travelled to Hereford City in the out-of-hours period between Monday and Friday and have seemed satisfied to do so," said the statement.

Primecare said it wanted to redistribute resources where they would be better utilised.

"The PCT already has cross border arrangements in place with other PCTs and will consider new arrangements with Worcestershire PCT if, and when, a definitive need has been identified," said the statement.