Three-year-old Megan was later diagnosed with tonsillitis

Amy Cavanagh, from Bridgend, called out-of-hours service Primecare when her daughter, Megan, three, complained of a sore neck and back.

After waiting for a return call, she rang back and says she was told the nearest GP was some 200 miles away.

The local health board and Primecare have apologised for the distress.

Primecare had taken over out-of-hours calls from Ms Cavanagh's GP in Brackla five days earlier.

With the introduction of any new service a period of adjustment is anticipated Bridgend Local Health Board

Megan was later treated at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where she was diagnosed with tonsillitis and an ear infection.

A spokesman for the Bridgend Local Health Board and Primecare admitted that things had gone wrong when Mrs Cavanagh, 22, called.

He said: "We are sorry for the distress Mrs Cavanagh experienced in contacting the out-of-hours GP service.

"Clearly the service did not respond as we had planned and expected in this instance and we are working closely with the provider of the service, Primecare, to find out exactly what happened."

He said the service had been swamped with calls on the weekend that Megan was ill.

'Teething problems'

"The volume of calls last weekend was exceptional - 50% higher than could, normally, be expected," he said.

"It is anticipated that, as the system settles down, the number of people calling will revert to normal levels.

"With the introduction of any new service a period of adjustment is anticipated.

"Bridgend Local Health Board is working with Primecare to iron out teething problems and to ensure the provision of an effective GP out of hours service for all our patients."

Alun Cairns said it was "an appalling situation"

"As the father of a young child I can only sympathise with her," he said.

"There needs to be a full and frank inquiry into why this has happened."

Recent changes to GPs' contracts mean responsibility for care during the evenings and weekends has been transferred from GPs to local health boards in Wales.

GPs can opt out of providing cover outside normal hours under their new contracts.

Instead, out-of-hours services can be provided by private sector contractors, ambulance trusts or the primary care trusts themselves.

The UK Government said on Thursday that out-of-hours services would be regularly audited after concerns that new arrangements would mean patients would not get access to a doctor.