FAMILY doctors who run their own out-of-hours co-operative are being asked to help keep Kendal hospital's emergency and minor accident unit open overnight, reports health correspondent Michaela Robinson-Tate.

However, providing adequate accommodation for the GPs at Westmorland General Hospital proved to be a major sticking point.

Health chiefs who are reviewing the unit's future are hoping to thrash out a deal under which GPs from the Westmorland Primary Care Co-operative would see some suitable patients at the unit between midnight and 8am, ensuring it could remain open 24 hours a day.

A director of the co-operative Dr Jane Irwin said they were in the process of asking their 55 GP members whether they wanted to negotiate.

Of the ten replies so far received, two GPs were opposed to the idea, and "would probably leave the co-operative" if the scheme went ahead, Dr Irwin said.

The remainder were supportive of exploring the idea.

"The point they all make is the accommodation," said Dr Irwin, who pointed to the inadequacies of the rooms at the hospital that the co-operative currently uses.

GP Alistair MacKenzie said that one of the problems was a squeaky bed, and that the sleeping accommodation was "completely out of order".

The doctors also needed space to use their IT equipment.

He warned that the subject was a serious one for the co-operative.

"The possibility exists that the co-op could actually fold over this as an issue if enough doctors were to leave the co-op because they would not be prepared to do this."

He said under any deal, help would be required for the doctors to cope with incoming telephone calls.

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust director of nursing and midwifery Anne Buchanan said the organisation would not allow the issue of accommodation to become a major stumbling block.

She said: "We cannot let accommodation spoil this because how will that look to the public?"

Senior accident and emergency consultant Ray McGlone pointed out that the present staffing system at the unit was only "robust" until August, and that although the review group had aspirations for the long term, something needed to happen by that date.

The next meeting of the review group, on May 15, will hear the response from members of the doctors' co-operative over whether they want to work with the unit; what accommodation might be on offer for them; whether the telephone information service NHS Direct can become involved; and how paramedics might expand their role to carry out some work in the unit.

Speaking afterwards, review chairman Dr Jake O'Donovan pointed out that 17,000 patients used the unit each year.

If it were forced to close for any period those patients would still require help, and the co-operative GPs would therefore find their workload increased regardless of whether they decided to work within the unit or not.

l Meanwhile, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Collins has highlighted the success of his petition in support of the unit.

More than 2,000 people have already signed the petition, which calls for the unit's existing services to be retained.