HAMPSHIRE health chiefs have denied GP practices are facing closure.

Rumours on social media suggested Stoke Road Medical Centre in Gosport would shut and that others in the town were under threat.

But bosses at NHS Fareham and Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group, which governs GPs in the area, have dismissed the speculation.

The CCG is working with its 11 practices in Gosport to meet new challenges and has pledged to deliver a same-day appointment service at Gosport War Memorial Hospital after conducting a public survey with 1,400 people to identify priorities.

Dr David Chilvers, chairman of the CCG, said: “It may be that reports of same-day services being centralised at the War Memorial Hospital have caused some people to make false assumptions about the GP practices, but they will all still be open for business.

“This new system will considerably relieve some local pressure points on GP practices. It offers exciting opportunities for us – and I am sure will be a model which will be adopted in many other parts of the country which are facing the same issues as we are here.”

Dr Donal Collins, who is leading the service changes, added: “One thing that is very clear is that without change, the existing network of GP practices in Gosport will be unsustainable in the mid to longer term. That is why we are all working together to mitigate this threat.

“The GP practices are working together to see how same-day appointments can be offered differently, so that everyone who needs advise or to be seen that day is offered the support they need.

“But there are no plans for any existing Gosport practices to close.”

Under the new system, patients will phone their GP practice as normal and, if they ask for a same-day appointment, the receptionist would take some basic details from the patient and arrange for a nurse or GP to call them back.

Patients would be contacted in order of clinical priority with the nurse or GP having a detailed conversation with them. If the nurse or GP thinks they need to be seen they will be offered an appointment at the hospital.