HAMPSHIRE health chiefs say that they will look at research by Romsey MP Sandra Gidley which shows that hundreds of residents feel that more needs to be done to improve healthcare in the region.

The Liberal Democrat MP sent out 33,000 surveys to residents in Romsey and Southampton to see how they felt about services, including conditions in hospitals.

So far 2,400 people have filled in the survey and nearly half of them say that local services are the same or have got worse.

Hampshire Primary Care Trust has said that it will consider the results of the survey and look to use them in improving services in the future.

"It's so important to get future health care priorities right, and the best way to do that is to listen to local people's concerns," said Mrs Gidley.

"I have tried to ensure that most households in the Romsey constituency received a copy of my survey, and I am very pleased with the huge mailbag that we have received in response.

"It proves that health is a top priority for local residents."

Richard Samuel, director of corporate affairs for Hampshire PCT, said: "The PCT welcomes this survey and the insights it provides to the views and aspirations of local people.

"We will be looking at the results closely as we develop plans to improve services for people living in the area."