THE county's under-fire out-of-hours GP service will be examined by councillors next week.

North Yorkshire County Council's scrutiny of health committee will look at the arrangements for evening and weekend doctors' cover on Wednesday.

The inspection by councillors comes after the private firm responsible for the service went into administration last year.

Councillor John Blackie, chairman of the committee, said: "There is considerable public anxiety across the county about the robustness of the GP out-of-hours service, to meet the needs of a rural area like North Yorkshire.

"Disagreements in public between the primary care trusts and the GPs about the exact reasons why North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors went into administration, have not helped to build public confidence in the out-of-hours service.

"We will be seeking reassurance from the primary care trust regarding their plans for the future of the service.

"Members of the public are welcome to attend this meeting and I assure them that they will be given plenty of opportunities to make statements or to ask questions."

Senior officials from the four primary care trusts in the county who have assumed responsibility for the service will be present at the meeting.

Representatives from PrimeCare, the GP co-operative that has been contracted to deliver the out-of-hours service in Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale area, and the local ambulance trust will also be present.

The meeting will be held at County Hall, Northallerton, from 10.30am on Wednesday. Some GPs and councillors are expected to attend.