A remote Lochaber community is concerned that a planned reduction in out-of-hours (OOH) GP provision would put local people at risk.
And it is calling for a consultation exercise to be carried out before any changes are implemented.
NHS Highland last week approved controversial plans to replace the current doctor-led OOH service with one where advanced nurse practitioners and paramedics would respond in more cases.
Board chairman David Alston said the move was necessary for a more sustainable model of care, with chronic staff shortages and spiralling locum costs affecting the most rural parts.
And Morvern is one of the areas that would no longer have locally-based OOH GP cover.
Morvern Community Council chairman Jim Bolton said his council had not had a chance to discuss it yet.
He said: “It seems to me that they are putting cost over patient safety.
“There will definitely be concern in the community as it has a sense of fait accompli about it.
“There has been no local consultation and I think it should be the subject of widespread consultation before it goes any further.”
Mr Bolton added that the community council would consider the situation at its meeting on Monday.
An NHS Highland spokesman said the current method of providing out of hours primary care was unsustainable and doing nothing was not an option.
He said: “In the Morvern area, we are not planning to change the in hours provision. Indeed, we know that a large on call component makes it more difficult to recruit to practices.
“We are committed to supporting and strengthening the high quality of primary care provision which some of our remote and rural areas enjoy.”
The spokesman added that the health board appreciated that this was unsettling for communities until they had fully considered possible future arrangements.
He said: “We are very keen to sit down and start these discussions as soon as possible and would hope we can work very constructively together so local people are and feel safe.”
