A PRIVATE GP service is launching in Poole next month to offer people guaranteed fast access to a doctor outside of normal NHS surgery hours.

Poole NightDoctor is the first such service in the UK to be run on a subscription basis, with individuals paying £1 a day for cover between 7pm and 7am on 365 days a year. Members will be able to call a local number and speak to a doctor, who will visit the patient's home if necessary.

The company plans to limit the number of members in each postcode area of the town.

"The NHS tries to respond to your call within the hour and visit within six hours. We aim to respond to your call within 10 minutes and visit within 30 minutes. We have no middlemen or nurses: you only speak to a doctor about your problems," it promises.

A spokeswoman for Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust admitted that it had not heard of the new service until told by the Daily Echo.

Urgent out-of-hours NHS GP calls for Dorset are handled by the ambulance service.

Calls are prioritised, and some people are asked to attend a treatment centre. Some calls are passed to doctors, who can arrange a home visit from a GP or emergency care practitioner.

Poole NightDoctor is based in Lilliput, but has no treatment centre.