PLANS to change an out-of-hours doctors' service affecting thousands of people in the Ripon area have been put on hold.

The proposed changes would affect 30,000 people living in Ripon and surrounding areas. Patients had feared having to travel to Harrogate District Hospital, or the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

It had been planned that from June, Ripon Community Hospital's primary care centre would have just one GP available on weekend mornings.

Previously, the service had been offered all day at weekends until 9pm, as well as weekday evenings.

The changes sparked protest petitions from residents and criticism by the then Ripon and Skipton MP, David Curry, who described the slimmed-down service as inadequate.

Patients have now been assured that no changes will be made to the service until talks between concerned doctors and NHS officials have been concluded.

Following another meeting involving both sides this week, a spokesman for the Craven and Harrogate Primary Care Trust (PCT) said it had been a postive meeting and they had agreed to meet again in early May.

The spokesman said work was continuing to find a solution.

Dr Charles Fletcher, a spokesman for the area's GPs, said a working group had been established to come up with new proposals and find out in detail the workload of of GPs in the affected area.

"We have got together and are now having some meaningful dialogue with the PCT.

"We hope to find a solution, most of all for the people of Ripon and surrounding district."

The PCT took over the out-of-hours service after North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors went into administration late last year.