A HEALTH trust says patient care will not be affected after GPs quit in a row over pay at a community hospital.

Gwent Healthcare Trust has stepped in to provide the inpatient and minor injuries cover at Chepstow community hospital that Monmouthshire GPs have provided until last weekend.

The GPs have resigned in a row over payment for providing daytime cover at Chepstow, having received what Chepstow-based GP Dr Richard Jones called "a derisory, almost insulting" offer. As part of the trust's new arrangements, a doctor is based in the ward for GP patients, and the trust is assuring patients and their families that the quality of healthcare will not be compromised.

The contract offered the GPs by the trust would have covered the GPs' continued care for their patients on the ward from 8am to 6.30pm. But the resignations came into effect yesterday and also include out-of-hours cover.

"We would have liked the service to continue to be provided by the GPs," said Sian Millar, general manager for the trust's community services.

"During meetings with the doctors, we all accepted that the existing arrangements were outdated and we agreed to give them a proposition outlining the level of cover needed at the hospital in the future.

"This was based on the changing needs of our services, with flexible working sessions aligned to all other doctors like them who are employed on a part-time basis in our hospitals. We are disappointed that this couldn't go ahead.

"Our priority now, especially for patients and their families, is to put their minds at ease over what is happening.

"Our plans to ensure the same levels of care will be available are already in place. There is absolutely no question of any reduction in their healthcare and there certainly will be no ward closures as has been wrongly suggested."

GPs providing cover for Monmouth Hospital have also been discussing the issues there, but have not followed their Chepstow counterparts' lead.