A HAMPSHIRE MP has added his voice to the chorus of criticism over the decision to close Southwick Surgery.

As reported in the Daily Echo last week the Mid Hampshire Primary Care Trust supported the application to close the rural surgery in three months' time.

The axe finally fell despite a campaign by locals to keep the surgery open after Wickham Practice, who runs the surgery, first mooted the idea of closing it two years ago.

Residents inundated the PCT with letters of objection saying the closure of the weekly surgery would mean residents would be forced to travel to Wickham to get healthcare.

Winchester MP Mark Oaten has also penned letters in protest at the plan and today slammed the decision of the PCT to close the surgery.

He said: "This is a huge blow to Southwick, there will be real anger in the local community about this.

"It is going to make life difficult for a lot of local people who will have to travel miles to see their new GP.

"I am particularly disappointed as I personally raised the issue with the Primary Care Trust and yet no mention was made of these concerns."

The decision was taken to close the surgery, which is open for one morning a week, on the grounds that the doctors' time could be better spent at Wickham rather than making the trip to Southwick.

The PCT told residents that the rest of the practice catchment area was being disadvantaged by providing the service for Southwick as the GP's were limited in what they could actually do at the surgery and often had to refer patients to Wickham.

The comments angered parish councillors and ward councillor Ken Carter who said elderly residents who use the practice had been particularly let down by the National Health Service as they would struggle to make the trip to Wickham.

Mr Oaten urged the PCT to stick to their promise of finding ways to transport Southwick residents to the Wickham practice and arranging for repeat prescriptions to be delivered.

He said: "Local people feel they have had the rug pulled from underneath them.

"What is key now is that we make sure any transition is as smooth as possible. Otherwise it will be adding insult to injury."