TRAINING sessions under which doctors' surgeries are shut for half-days are to be rearranged.

The Time In sessions were introduced in Darlington last year. The scheme allows each of the town's 12 surgeries to close regularly for paid training sessions, with health workers finding out about the latest developments.

Until now the surgeries have been closing for half-days and outside cover has been paid for by the primary care trust.

But a review of the scheme has been decided to cut the sessions to three hours, allowing surgeries to stay open until 2pm on training days.

This was the most popular option discussed by the 12 surgeries in the town, although one surgery said it did not want to be involved at all.

The surgeries rejected taking turns to cover the patients for the whole of Darlington while the other ten surgeries closed for training

The PCT is expected to agree to the new Time In scheme at a meeting late this month.