HEALTH chiefs have rejected calls from the public to keep a "much-loved" centre open following a 12-week consultation.

At a lengthy meeting of the 13-member board of Southampton City's Clinical Commissioning Group it was decided to close the Commercial Road centre.

The decision was described as "shocking" with those opposed to it adding that their decision "questions the whole democratic process".

Others said it makes a "mockery" of the consultation process.

A petition signed by more than 2,000 people - less than one percent of the city's population - prepared by the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition party had been handed to the CCG.

There are currently six nurses and six support staff working at the centre, all of whose will be found other roles in the NHS, the Daily Echo understands.

One member of the public shouted "no privatisation, keep it open" at the highly-charged meeting before walking out.

But the board felt that the centre was duplicating other services and needed to be closed.

In making its decision the board also agreed that there must be better access to GP services, that there was more awareness of other services and the decision will be reviewed.

Southampton Itchen MP, Royston Smith slammed the process saint many of his questions - about GP services and funding - weren't answered.

"I don't think the consultation has been handled well. I'm not happy with the result," he said.

He added: "It takes away the only facility in the east [of Southampton]. It's wrong, fundamentally wrong. The reasons for it just don't stack up."

Nick Chaffey, of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, who campaigned against the closure, described the decision as "shocking".

He said: "There's a consultation where 70 per cent of the people who took part say they don't want this service closed and the actions of the board have thrown their views away."

Speaking after the hour-long debate Dr Sue Robinson, clinical chair of the CCG denied that the views of the public were disregarded.

She said: "I think we have taken on board the views of the public but we have a limited budget."

She agreed, along with John Richards, chair of the CCG, that more needs to be done to improve access to GPs and raise awareness of other services.

She added that the centre would not be reinstated.

"I wish we could provide everything that everybody wants, we have to make difficult decisions as a board for the health needs of the city as a whole," she said.

"We need to make difficult decisions that benefit the health of everybody in the city, not just those on one side of the city."

Mr Richards denied that they had failed the public in not informing them of the other services available and increasing awareness of how to access GP services.

He said: "We're part of a huge body that administers health. The CCG is a small body. We do need the help of our partners including the media to make people aware of what other services are available."

He added: "The views of the public are extremely important to us. It's the public who we serve, we have responsibility to make the best possible use of the public money."