A HEALTH watchdog has called for ‘a clear explanation’ of what the future holds for GP surgeries in Dorset.

The manager of Healthwatch Dorset has warned clinical chiefs that patients ‘aren’t fooled’ by a report detailing proposals for a radical shake up of primary care which a GP has slammed for its ‘deliberately foggy wording.’

It comes just one day after councillors urged health bosses to hold a full public consultation over the proposed ‘new integrated GP model’ which could see GP practices merging into ‘super surgeries’ with up to 50,000 patients.

If GPs adopt the suggestions by Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the number of GP sites could be halved from 131 to between 36 and 69.

Martyn Webster, of Healthwatch Dorset, said: “People rely on their GP practices more than any other part of the health service.

“So we’re all going to be very worried when we get a whiff of plans which could lead to some of them closing.

“What we need is a clear explanation of what’s going on, what’s being proposed and how local people can have their say.

“One of the CCG’s own GPs has described the proposals as being written in ‘deliberately foggy wording’. But people aren’t fooled.

“They know that ‘consolidation of sites’ means some of the surgeries people currently go to closing.

“We’ve sent our local NHS organisations some tips on how to do public consultations, including - use plain language; welcome different views; don’t be defensive; involve people from the beginning and give people enough time to consider what’s being proposed, to comment on it and question it.”

Dorset CCG stressed it has been involved with Healthwatch Dorset over its Primary Care Commissioning Strategy.

A spokesman added practices themselves would continue to operate and added it will be up to individual GPs whether they want to merge or move sites.