Health campaigners have spoken of their disappointment that the plans for a Primary Care Centre in Devizes have been dropped.

NHS Wiltshire made the surprise announcement at a meeting of Devizes Area Board last week.

A Primary Care Centre has been promised by NHS Wiltshire and its predecessor, Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, for the past five years.

NHS-owned land at Green Lane has always been the favoured site but land next to Quakers Walk and Southgate House, the PCT’s headquarters in Pans Lane, was also considered.

Jeff James, chief executive of NHS Wiltshire, told the Devizes Are Board meeting the economic downturn meant the three GP practices in Devizes had been unable to put together a viable financial package to build a Primary Care Centre.

The centre would have housed all three GP surgeries as well as services currently provided at Devizes Hospital and Devizes Family Health Centre.

Instead the health centre, in New Park Street, will close and all services, including health visiting, emergency dental service and paediatric clinic, will relocate to the hospital’s former maternity unit from mid-April.

NHS Wiltshire is spending £330,000 on refurbishing the hospital and expects to receive £322,000 for selling the health centre site. Mr James said it would be up to GP consortia to decide on the future of hospital services as they would be commissioning services once NHS Wiltshire is abolished in April 2013.

Philippa Morgan of Devizes Health Matters, a campaign group set up last year, said: “It’s very disappointing that we are no further forward in Devizes than we were five years ago.

“It’s a good thing that there is no further deterioration in services at Devizes Hospital and some money has been spent on refurbishment but that is just to keep things in the short term. We would like the services to go back to where they were.”

Town councillor Paula Winchcombe, chairman of Devizes Community Area Health and Social Care Forum, said: “We welcome the commitment for short term provision of all primary care services in one location at Devizes Hospital and that the Green Lane site remains available for future consideration.

“However, there are concerns that the increasing demands of our growing population still need to be addressed to ensure adequate health care provision for the future.”

* The Great Western Hospital in Swindon takes over the management of Devizes Hospital and other community services from NHS Wiltshire in June as part of the Government’s reorganisation of the NHS.