BONUS payments for family doctors in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale are set to rocket after GPs beat Government targets in delivering services to patients.

General practitioners at the area's 45 surgeries voluntarily set themselves an 89 per cent target on a list of how good a service they offer to patients.

The areas range from things like access to doctors to how diseases are managed, and GPs beat their target by two per cent.

This was above the Government's aim of 74 per cent, which was introduced just over a year ago as part of new contract arrangements with all GPs.

Family doctors can earn 1,050 points as part of a bonus scheme for achieving certain quality standards in a range of areas.

This year the average three-GP practice with 6,000 patients is being paid £77.50 for each point, but that will rise to £124 next year.

GPs get to keep the bonus, which is on top of their basic income, once running costs are taken off.

The PCT's director of health standards Dr John Haworth, said: "It is an extremely commendable outcome and we all take pride in their level of care and service-level achievement.

"It means that our area's 250,000 patients in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale can take heart that the quality of GP services is high, and that delivery of these services meet our GPs' own high standards.

"The PCT is delighted in the outcome and, of course, it is in all our interests to maintain this level of care and service delivery."

There are 146 'indicators' which have to be looked at to determine how well the GPs have performed.

Lisa Cunliffe, the PCT's primary care development manager who looked at the indicators, said: "These good results have been achieved as a result of the hard work and effort of all the practice staff, with the support of the PCT.

"Practices have worked extremely hard and should be congratulated on their tremendous effort."

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT arranges health care for the 253,000 people in the area through family doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and optometrists and employs 1,200 staff including nurses, health visitors and others.