HAMPSHIRE residents face massive inequalities over their access to health care after it was revealed waiting times for hearing reviews can vary by almost nine-months.

The startling differences were uncovered by Fareham MP Mark Hoban after one of his constituents wrote to him concerned about the length of time he was having to wait for a first appointment at Cosham's Queen Alexandra hospital.

The complainant, who has not been named but lives in Fareham, went to see his GP after becoming concerned at the deterioration in his hearing.

However he was told that he would have to wait more than ten-months for the first available appointment at the Q&A, run by the Portsmouth Hospital's NHS Trust. But only 25-miles down the road at The Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust the waiting time for an identical appointment is only six-weeks.

At Southampton General Hospital patients face a similar wait, with the maximum length of time ten-weeks, while in the New Forest patients wanting an appointment at the Lymington New Forest Hospital also face waits of ten-weeks.

Now Mr Hoban has written to the Chief Executive of the Hampshire Primary Care Trust, the UK largest PCT which buys hospital services for Hampshire's patients through their GPs, demanding more be done to change the situation for residents in the east of the county.