Hampshire county councillor Andy Tree has been searching for answers about Whitehill & Bordon’s proposed health hub.

He attended the council’s health and adult social care select committee meeting on June 27 at which Sara Tiller and Lisa Medway of the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight integrated care board gave a presentation on the project.

Cllr Tree said: “The integrated care board is the part of the NHS that pays for local services and therefore they are a key and crucial decision-maker. They openly favour providing local NHS services out of the proposed new health hub, in place of Chase Community Hospital.

“Crucially, I have asked how the integrated care board will actually respond to public feedback and await a written response, as health provision is so important and the views of residents must be listened to and feedback given – especially to explain why they feel the health hub plans are the best way forward.

“I asked the NHS integrated care board representatives how they planned to resolve the ‘geography issue’ by recruiting staff, when consultants from all directions – Royal Surrey in Guildford, North Hants in Basingstoke and Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth – do not want to travel as far as Whitehill & Bordon, being one of the reasons that Haslemere, Alton and Petersfield community hospitals get more support.

“I was not given a clear answer, but that a modern new health hub would be more attractive to staff than Chase Community Hospital.

“We now await the actual planning application to come forward by the end of 2023, so we can see the final proposals for the health hub building.

“Only then can we judge them, from a town council consultative level and at East Hampshire District Council level. Having the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party on all three tiers of council does at least now give us a voice and access to information.”