THE MASSIVE influx of new residents to Gosport means many are unable to find a local GP, it has emerged.

Gosport council has received complaints from residents saying they cannot register with a GP within three or four miles of their homes.

The problem is so grave that Fareham and Gosport Primary Health Care Groups has three-expanded surgeries planned to cope with demand.

Cllr Jill Wright, who is practice manager at Anderson and Partners in Gregson Road, said: "I think all the GP practices in Gosport are full, bar two.

"People moving into the area suddenly find they cannot register with a doctor."

Cllr Wright says new housing developments at Cherque Farm, Priddy's Hard, St George's Barracks North, St George's Barracks South and Royal Clarence Yard are stretching existing GP provision to the limit. "We are not quite at crisis point, but things are extremely difficult", the Rowner councillor said.

"We need to have enough GPs to cope with the additional people."

Officials at health watchdog the Community Health Council (CHC) say much of the pressure comes from residents living in ex-Ministry of Defence (MoD) buildings.

Portsmouth and South East Hampshire CHC chief officer Margaret Lovell said: "Most of the service personnel were covered by MoD doctors - now that burden falls on local GPs.

"We have had more than the average number of complaints over the last six months. Some people are left without a choice of which GP to visit. If they do have a choice they are too far away.

"It is not a happy situation. We cannot see a quick way out of it."

John Kirtley, chief executive of Fareham and Gosport Primary Health Care Groups, said: "There are changes we are planning in order to address the issue.

"Part of the solution is to provide new buildings which would attract new GPs into the area.

"Dr Knapman and Partners in Forton Road have applied to build bigger accommodation on the site of the Camden allotment, with space for physiotherapy, minor surgery and an extra GP.

"Two other practices in Gosport are looking to expand and take on more partners.

"Overall, the numbers of GPs for the population is about the national average, but we are trying to address the issue of the extra buildings.

"Hopefully some of these plans will come to fruition quite soon."