A health boss has claimed most people will not notice the difference when an out-of-hours doctor system is introduced later this year.

Under Government guidelines, GPs across Hambleton and Richmondshire have been given the option of withdrawing emergency cover at night and weekends - and all of them have confirmed they will be adopting the system.

At a council meeting in Richmond on Tuesday, primary healthcare trust chief executive Chris Long claimed surgeries offering their own emergency cover had been in the minority for some time.

He said most GPs in the two districts were already linked to the North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors (NYED) network, which is preparing a joint bid with the Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service to cover the Hambleton and Richmondshire districts under the intiative.

A panel set up to establish the public mood on the changes told Tuesday's Richmondshire district council meeting that some patients had concerns about the changes.

Those fears included patients having to travel some distance to clinics or that they could find themselves discussing medical conditions with a call-handler rather than a doctor.

"What residents want to be sure of is that they receive no less a service than they do now," said panel chairman Councillor Yvonne Peacock.

But Mr Long that under the system to be piloted in upper Wensleydale, out-of-hours calls would be forwarded to an NYED doctor who would then have four options, depending on the patients condition.

The doctor could offer advice on the phone, agree to a home visit, invite the patient to attend treatment centres at either Aysgarth or Catterick Garrison, or dial 999 for an ambulance.

Saturday morning clinics may also be arranged at the treatment centres if there is sufficient demand, while Mr Long confirmed taxis would be supplied for patients who could not travel.

He said NYED doctors would have a 4x4 vehicle supplied with medical equipment as well as a driver well-acquainted with the area.

"The NYED system works well elsewhere and there have been few complaints," he said.

"In fact, most people who already use it in Richmondshire probably don't realise they are not dealing with their own surgery, so I suspect few will notice the difference.''