DOCTORS in Sunderland are testing an out-of-hours service today.
GPs in the south of the city will be available to help over the telephone or at designated surgeries.
If the pilot scheme is successful, it could be expanded across Wearside.
A spokeswoman for the city's Primary Care Group, said: "Today is a Bank Holiday, and these GPs are entitled to their holiday just the same.
"But they feel that this was an important thing for the patients, and it is actually covering 47,000 patients in the Sunderland south area, with 11 surgeries participating.
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