MP hits out over plans for a super-surgery
11:02am Friday 27th June 2008
MP Maria Miller has hit out in Parliament at the Government's plan for a super-surgery in Basingstoke.
Under reforms promoted by health ministers, each NHS primary health care trust is to have one super-surgery.
But Basingstoke MP Mrs Miller fears the new "polyclinic" will be developed at the expense of local surgeries.
In a House of Commons debate, she told health secretary Alan Johnson: "The proposal put forward by the Hampshire PCT to locate a polyclinic - or whatever he wants to call it - in my constituency talks about building "capacity to absorb a growing population".
"That sounds to me as if the polyclinic is replacing the need to build new surgeries as new houses are built."
Mr Johnson replied: "It sounds to me that building capacity to absorb a growing population is absolutely right because this new service will deal with greater capacity - so well done Hampshire."
But speaking afterwards, Mrs Miller said: "The priority in Basingstoke should be to make sure the doctors' surgeries are serving families and the elderly to the highest level."
The super-surgery will be in central Basingstoke and will be open seven days a week, for 12 hours, with a host of services available such as dentistry and minor surgery.
A group of local doctors, calling themselves the North Hampshire Alliance, have lodged their own bid to run the giant surgery because they feel they can do a better job than a private company.