DOCTORS and patients are furious over a planned walk-in health centre in the heart of Worcester.

The centre, which could open in December, has been branded "privatisation by stealth", "silly", and "a waste of money.

As revealed by your Worcester News yesterday, private companies, doctors and voluntary organisations can bid to run the centre, staffed by three doctors and nine nurses, which would open 8am to 8pm seven days a week and cost Worcestershire Primary Care Trust £1 million a year to run.

A petition against a Government shake-up which would allow the creation of such large practices has already attracted 300 signatures from patients and GPs in Worcestershire.

The petition's covering letter by Tracie Brettell, nurse manager at Pershore Medical Centre, accuses the Government of destabilising general practice and urges patients to fight for their GPs to remain "local" and "family-centred".

Dr Maggie Keeble, a partner at Berwyn House, Barbourne, Worcester, said: "This is privatisation of general practice by stealth. It's the first step to destablising our traditional general practices. Patients are horrified."

Janie Thomas, chairman of the Worcestershire PCT patient forum, said: "The Government seems to think one size fits all. If they were going to put one in each of the urban areas - Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch - you can understand the logic but putting one in just one part of Worcestershire seems a bit silly."

She said GPs were negotiating to extend opening hours and many patients were already very satisfied with the service provided.

Simon Parkinson, secretary of the Worcestershire Local Medical Committee, said the plans were "a waste of money" and doctors would not be at the centre 8am to 8pm, so most patients would be seen by a nurse.

He said: "We feel it's the dumbing down of general practice. It's consumerism."

He also said that Worcestershire already had one of the highest ratios of GPs to patients.

Dr Martin Ounsted, vice-chairman of the Worcestershire LMC and a doctor at Abbey Medical Practice, Evesham, said: "This centre will be funded out of money withdrawn from general practice. It's not demonstrated to be wanted or needed by the patients of Worcestershire."

A Department of Health spokesperson said the Government recognised that GPs across the country provide an excellent service.

She said "In some areas where it makes sense for local people, in order to deliver more convenient and integrated care services that meet patients' needs, larger health centres are being established."