THE company which has handled out-of-hours calls to doctors' surgeries across Hampshire since last summer has lost its contract.

Birmingham based Primecare will cease operating from September. Instead, out-of-hour calls will be handled by primary care trusts in Southampton, Eastleigh & Test Valley South, New Forest and Mid-Hampshire in a bid to improve the service and cut costs. The move comes in response to public concern about the service provision under Primecare.

Complaints about delays in getting a callback and patients from Winchester being asked to travel to Southampton to see a doctor were just some of the concerns taken up by local MPs.

Local health watchdogs, such as the patient participation group at Twyford Surgery, also spoke out against the service.

With the Primecare contract up for renewal, health chiefs are now working towards managing and delivering the service locally.

Hampshire Ambulance Service has already been approached to provide the call handling, telephone assessment and patient transport.

Brian Skinner, chief executive of Southampton City PCT said: "People have spoken, and we have listened. During the changeover, every effort will be made to minimise the effect on patients, and we will be widely publicising the changes in the coming months.

"Primecare have agreed to continue to ensure a robust service is provided until September 30th, 2005, to enable the PCTs and Hampshire Ambulance Service to put the appropriate systems in place for the new service."

Responding, Romsey MP, Sandra Gidley, said: "This is a welcome move and we now have an opportunity to develop services that are much more co-ordinated. There will also be the benefit of having the service provided locally, and accountable locally.

"One of the problems was that when the out-of-hours service failed, an extra demand was placed on the ambulances and response times were affected. The new system should mean a much better use of resources."