COUNCILLORS have unanimously decided to review GP services across Basingstoke and Deane after a number of high-profile failed partnerships.

The standard of service at the Camrose, Gillies and Hackwood partnership in Basingstoke was likened to that of a third world country in terms of the number of patients to each GP by one councillor, whilst another said that residents were concerned that the recent takeover of the CGH partnership was "creeping backdoor privatisation".

Councillors on the Community, Environment and Partnerships committee will now review the services, with members calling for the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, who are responsible for the provision of GP services, to engage with them to increase "accountability and scrutiny".

Cllr Kim Taylor (Labour, Brighton Hill South) brought the motion after a number of high-profile cases in recent months.

The Gazette has reported how the CGH partnership of surgeries - the largest primary care provider in North Hampshire - has been taken over by American-owned Operose Health because of falling GP numbers, whilst the partners at the Bermuda and Marlowe partnership will not renew their contract when it lapses next year.

Cllr Taylor said: "In our Horizon 2050 vision we acknowledge the importance of health and its link to the quality of life and the need to reduce health inequalities. Having a good local healthcare system is essential to the prosperity of the borough.

"Now we have a situation where in the last three years we have seen six GP practices in difficulty and in the last two months, two have given contracts back."

Her views were echoed by Conservative deputy leader Cllr Simon Bound (Rooksdown), who said: "The primary care sector faces pressures that have been building for some time.

"It isn't good enough to leave patients and staff not knowing what the options are."

Meanwhile independent councillor Paul Harvey (Norden) added: "It is a major issue in Basingstoke and a lot of our postbags reflect the level of concern residents have about their GPs and the future of them."

Councillors unanimously backed the proposal for CEP to consider the services, whilst also asking the leader of the council, Cllr Ken Rhatigan, to write to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to request an "early investigation and intervention".