BOROUGH chiefs have expressed concerns over plans for two separate mergers of GP surgeries.

A consultation is currently taking place on plans to bring together Hamble Blackthorn and Bursledon surgeries, as well as separate plans to merge St Luke's in Hedge End and Botley GP.

The mergers of the NHS GP surgeries comes as part of the Living Well Partnership.

But now councillors at Eastleigh Borough Council have said they are "worried" about the proposals and yesterday, a report was presented to Cabinet highlighting a number of issues about accessibility and how close GP services are to patients.

The report noted that an increasing number of consultations are carried out remotely using digital technology, which could exclude people without the skills or equipment needed to access services.

It also highlighted how people in vulnerable groups, or without ready access to transport, may find it difficult to travel further for face-to-face appointments, which could be offered in any one of the Living Well Partnership’ surgeries, including several in Southampton.

The Council is now signalling its disappointment that, despite having worked with the NHS to create a purpose-built GP facility at the Lowford Centre, residents in the Bursledon and Old Netley area - who have some of the most acute health needs and highest levels of deprivation in the Borough - could lose their daytime GP services.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Councillor Tonia Craig, said: “We are worried that these proposals will fail to put the interests of some of the Borough’s most vulnerable patients first.

"This risks them not seeking health advice and treatment at the right time and missing opportunities for prevention, which could lead to worse health outcomes and more cost for the NHS.

"Whilst we support increased use of digital healthcare solutions where appropriate, the importance of localism in delivering face-to-face health services shouldn’t be underestimated, and there is a strong preference for having them within walking distance of most patients.”

Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight CCG said in a statement on its website: "If you are a patient of Bursledon Surgery or Blackthorn Health Centre, we would like to hear from you on a proposal to merge Bursledon Surgery with Blackthorn Health Centre.

"At present, patients registered with Bursledon Surgery have their GP services provided by Blackthorn Health Centre. This temporary arrangement follows the retirement in December 2019 of the GP previously running Bursledon Surgery.

"In discussion with the CCG, Blackthorn Health Centre now proposes to make these temporary arrangements permanent from October 2021, if agreed by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.

"If the proposal is accepted, it means that the Lowford Centre surgery site would continue to have an important role in the delivery of NHS primary care services within the local area."

The survey on the changes to GP surgeries can be found here.