HEALTH experts say lives could be lost if people continue to misuse the Dorset Emergency Care Service, which provides out-of-hours cover for GPs throughout the county.

The service, accessed by a single number, has dealt with 73,000 patients since it started on October 1 last year, with demand higher than expected. Managers say the message that the service is meant for urgent cases is still not getting through to the general public.

Associate director Norma Lane said: "We are still finding, particularly on Saturdays, that a large number of people are still using the service when they could be dealt with in hours by their own GP practice or by going to a local pharmacist.

"While they are using the service inappropriately, people who really need it could be suffering for longer. Potentially lives could be lost."

Dorset GP Dr Mark MacKenzie, one of five clinical advisers to the service, said patients or their relatives often exaggerated or even lied in order to secure a house call from a GP.

"People don't think or plan ahead. It's part of this modern culture of 'I want it now and I don't care what time of the day or night it is', whether it's medical advice or a prescription. They don't care that we're an emergency service, they just want the convenience of 24-hour access," he said.

"We rely to a large extent on our gut feeling and it doesn't help us to sort out the wheat from the chaff when people are lying or exaggerating about their symptoms because they don't want to put themselves out to go to a treatment centre. They have no concept of what an emergency is.

"Somewhere along the line, patients are going to be in danger. We'll be out on a routine call when someone else might need our attention."

Anyone with a health inquiries can ring NHS Direct for advice on 0845 4647. Emergency GP calls should be made on 0845 600 10 13.

More about the Dorset Emergency Care Service tomorrow

FACTFILE

A mother rang on a Saturday morning to find out whether her child, who had chicken pox, was safe to fly abroad in three days' time.

A woman wanted a weekend home visit to find out if she had mumps - when the emergency doctor suggested seeing her GP on Monday, she said she would need to go to work.

A patient claiming to be totally incapacitated with back pain got up out of his armchair to greet the emergency doctor.

A mother rang the emergency service because her son had hay fever.

First published: May 9