EVERYONE knows to ring 999 for emergency services, but health chiefs in Dorset are hoping people will remember a new number from October 1.

That's when a new emergency out-of-hours medical service starts, covering times when people's normal GP surgeries are closed.

A single number - 0845 600 10 13 - will take callers through to a communication control centre operated by Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust at St Leonards near Ringwood.

A trained member of staff will take details of the medical problem and pass them on to a doctor, who will ring back to ask a few questions and decide the best option.

If the doctor feels the situation is an emergency, he or she will call 999 on the patient's behalf and an ambulance will be sent out straight away.

But other options are giving advice over the telephone; asking the patient to attend a local treatment centre; or sending a doctor, nurse or home care practitioner to visit.

The Dorset Emergency Care Service will cover all five Dorset primary care trusts, including Poole, Bournemouth, South-East Dorset and North Dorset.

It has been set up as part of the new GP contract, which aims to ease doctors' workload and make it easier to recruit GPs into family practice.

Andrew Morris, chief executive of Poole Primary Care Trust and chairman of the joint commissioning board for the out-of-hours service, said: "The new out-of-hours emergency service will provide patients with the same high standard of care as that previously provided by GPs.

"Our aim is to enable patients to access urgent medical care, whatever time of day or night.

"Dorset Ambulance Service has a proven track record in managing emergency services. It also has a wealth of experience in dealing with health enquiries through its work with Dorset Doctors on Call (DDoc), part of the current out-of-hours arrangements."

First published: Sept 24