A GP deputising service has defended its actions after unprecedented demands caused problems over the festive season.

Healthcall, which covers the area out of normal surgery hours from bases in Westcliff and east London, has been attacked by Basildon Hospital accident and emergency consultant Barbara Baird.

The company has admitted problems over the Christmas and new year period, but has defended itself against Miss Baird's other claims.

Miss Baird said the situation hit an all-time low when some patients reported waiting more than 45 minutes for a call to be answered, only to be told they could wait up to seven hours before a doctor could see them.

As a result, many gave up and either dialled 999 or went straight to the already-packed A & E department, where they faced waiting up to six hours.

Just after Christmas Basildon's A & E director, Mike Imana, complained to Healthcall in Southend, which promised to "beef up" the service by opening an emergency surgery in Vange.

But when the hospital put up a notice to that effect, patients not registered with GPs signed up to Healthcall found themselves sent back to the hospital.

In contrast, she said South Essex Emergency Doctors' Service, the Thurrock-based GP co-operative, had provided a prompt and efficient service.

Miss Baird, 57, who retired last week, said many patients now went straight to the hospital rather than face another long delay.

Healthcall's regional manager, Stephen Lamb, said no one could have foreseen how huge patient demand would be over Christmas and new year.

The company had put on more doctors than ever before, anticipating between 600 and 650 calls a day, instead of the usual 450 to 500. But calls were coming in at more than 800 a day, swamping the switchboard.

He said: "It is the first time our telephone system wasn't able to cope with the demand.

"Had it had the capacity, we would probably have taken 1,000 calls a day.

"We want to respond to patient demand and have reviewed our capacity to ensure we have enough for Easter."

Mr Lamb said Miss Baird had refused an invitation to sit on Healthcall's monitoring committee.

Mr Lamb said: "I think she believes GPs should be available all the time and does not like them passing the responsibility to an organisation like ours."

Southend Hospital's A & E director sits on Healthcall's monitoring committee along with two members of the Local Medical Committee.

Mr Lamb added: "We allow the British Medical Association access to our statistics and they do spot checks. It is not as if we work in glorious isolation."

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