A LACK of child care is hitting the recruitment of family doctors nationally - but Huddersfield is bucking the trend.

The British Medical Association, the doctors' union, says at least a third of the GP-led primary care trusts in England have not met the child care needs of family doctors and their staff - despite a Government requirement that they do so.

But health chiefs in Huddersfield deny this is happening locally.

Susan Kilroy, NHS child care co-ordinator for Calderdale and Huddersfield, said: "We have an excellent child care support service for all NHS staff in Huddersfield and Calderdale, including GP practice staff."

The service offers advice on:

* Child care options available, including day nurseries and holiday clubs.

* Choosing child care and questions to ask.

* Balancing work and home life commitments.

* Accessing child tax credits.

* Family-friendly policies.

She added: "Three new staff have recently joined the child care support service and we have been working hard to promote the child care options available.

"A range of staff, including some from GPs' practices, have already used the local child care services."

Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the BMA's general practitioners' committee said of the national situation: "It is in the interests of patients and doctors that we recruit as many doctors as we can into general practice.

"Many younger doctors have children and are dissuaded from working full time or longer hours because of the lack of adequate child care."