ANOTHER rural community is complaining about cuts to its village doctors' surgery opening hours.

Wheldrake villagers suggest they can only be ill two days a week, now partners at Elvington Medical Practice has slashed opening hours at its Wheldrake branch.

A pensioner, who wrote to the Evening Press asking not to be named, said a doctor was only present at the surgery for eight hours a week. The other 12 hours was staffed by nurses.

Earlier this month, the Evening Press reported how residents in Dunnington said cuts to their doctors' surgery had left them with their worst level of health care in 60 years.

The problems began when Elvington Medical Practice, which runs both local branches and recently opened a new £1.2 million head surgery at Elvington, said the branches had to be downgraded to allow a better service at other sites.

A Wheldrake pensioner said villagers felt "forgotten" now the new surgery had opened.

The pensioner added: "The people of Wheldrake are in the same plight as Dunnington, we can only be ill on Wednesday and Friday.

"If we are ill other days we are expected to go to Elvington which costs us £14 in taxi fare, which we can ill afford out of our pension."

She added: "Wheldrake surgery is open 20 hours a week, but a doctor is only there eight of these hours which makes it difficult to see the doctor when you are actually ill."

Liberal Democrat Christian Vassie, who represents Wheldrake on City of York Council, said he was worried how the reduced hours affected elderly people who did not have access to regular public transport.

Coun Vassie phoned community transport service York Wheels, who said they would try to help.

Mike Parry, of York Wheels, said: "Of course we will try and help if we possibly can.

"There is a fee for the service and it will depend how busy we are, so my advice is to book as early as possible."

To contact York Wheels phone 01904 630080.

Julie Lund, practice manager of Elvington Medical Practice, previously told the Evening Press: "The practice needed new premises because the existing surgery buildings were inadequate.

"Even if we had put all three of the existing surgery buildings together, we would still have had less than 50 per cent of the space that would be recommended for a practice of our size.

"In developing a new headquarters, we always made it clear that we did not intend to close the surgeries at Dunnington and Wheldrake, but they would return to their primary use as branch surgeries.

"We are open 20 hours a week at both branch surgeries, and this meets the requirements for a branch surgery in the new general medical services contract."

Updated: 10:17 Thursday, April 21, 2005