Villagers in Denholme claim they are being treated as "second class citizens" because of the lack of access to doctors.

Concerns have been raised by residents about the lack of GP cover in the village, particularly for those registered with the Wilsden practice.

Young mothers and the elderly say the lack of a GP in the village means they have to travel to the surgery in neighbouring Cullingworth.

The Wilsden practice currently provides two surgeries a week at the Ann Street clinic in Denholme, which is also used by doctors from the Thornton practice.

Residents claim there have been instances when no doctor has been available to come up for the surgeries.

Town mayor Councillor Anne Jay says: "At one time the doctors took patients from both surgeries and at the moment the surgery is not being used to its full potential.

"Patients are having to trail down to the Cullingworth surgery and at the moment they are being badly served."

Chief Executive of South and West Primary Care Trust Dr Barbara Hakin says the problem stems from the departure of a GP who served Denholme.

"The recruitment of doctors is a national problem," says Dr Hakin. "The Wilsden practice has not found it possible to replace the vacancy despite support from the PCT.

"Denholme is only a branch surgery but clearly it is important to identify the issues raised.

"There are very full and comprehensive integrated services at Cullingworth and Wilsden, and one of the biggest problems in areas like Denholme is that while the practices can provide something in a locally sensitive way, they can't provide a broad range of services.

"If the practice can recruit we would go straight back in and try to get back up to four surgeries a week.

"We are trying to put in more services in the interim, which we are starting to explore with the two surgeries."

Dr Hakin says that while the two surgeries handle each other's patients in emergencies, they do not in other instances, although improvements to IT links to enable this in the future were being looked into.

She adds that the use of doctors is also an issue of patient choice.

"Having two practices makes it more difficult for each practice to provide services for a small number of patients," she says.

Residents have also raised concerns about the difficulty of booking appointments with a GP over the phone.

They claim that often lines are engaged first thing in the morning and that when they finally get through many of the appointments have been taken.

Gideon Seymour, Director of Integrated Care and Partnerships with the PCT, says: "This new appointment system is designed to ensure appointments are not taken up, but unfortunately they are operating rather inflexibly.

"No-one should have to wait more than 48 hours to see a doctor and clearly that is not happening."

Deputy mayor Councillor Christine Anderson also called for diabetic clinics to be held in the village, possibly in the Mechanics Institute.

"There is more than a few diabetic people in the village who have to deal with the cost of bus fares - I don't see why we should be excluded.

"It doesn't matter where you are seen, as long as you are seen."