A PETERSFIELD doctor's surgery unveiled its improved facilities on Saturday – amid concern over potential changes to GP practices. While the popular Swan Street surgery was officially opened by town mayor Vaughan Clarke, East Hampshire MP Michael Mates criticised the "highly disruptive" polyclinic plans. Such plans, being mooted by the Government, could spelll an end to healthcare as we know it, prompting a concerned response from Mr Mates and a Swan Street GP. Officials from Swan Street Surgery joined their counterparts from The Grange, in The Causeway, and Hillbrow Surgery in a nationwide protest led by the British Medical Association against Government proposals to introduce polyclinics – a development that primary healthcare chiefs feared could reduce funding and undermine doctor-patient relationships. Dr Andrew Holden, of the Swan Street Surgery, said: "There were some areas in the country were the whole of primary care was collapsing, so to have a polyclinic there is excellent, but here it is not such a good idea. "In Petersfield, all the facilities that would come with a polyclinic are available locally. And with the community hospital there is not a need for a polyclinic nearby." Mr Mates this week said: "I have received many letters and e-mails from local doctors and patients concerned about the Government's proposals for reorganising GPs' practices into larger polyclinics. "Across England, it is estimated that 1,801 GP practices might have to close if the Government proceeds with its plan to group GPs into polyclinics made up of 25 GPs each. This proposal, which was originally proposed for the very particular circumstances of London, could change fundamentally the relationship between doctors and patients which from the earliest days of the NHS has been based on the principle of every patient having a named GP that they can see. "Here in Hampshire, grouping our 147 GP practices, which currently have an average of fewer than five doctors, into polyclinics would result in a major reorganisation. I have no doubt that that would be costly, would lead to the abandonment of much of the substantial investment that has been made since Sir John Major's Government decided to invest in better GPs' surgeries, and would be highly disruptive." He added: "There may be some parts of Hampshire where it would be an improvement if done with the consent of the GPs concerned, but the key word is consent because it would be quite wrong to force any GPs' practices in our part of the world to merge in the name of efficiency." Mr Mates said the Government had yet to make a final decision on polyclinics, adding that he had "grave doubts about its relevance to a community like East Hampshire". Meanwhile, the Swan Street surgery's new look was unveiled by town mayor Vaughan Clarke on Saturday. The renovation work, which included a midnight pharmacy, offered an improved waiting room, new treatment and meeting rooms, and disabled access. Dr Holden said: "The refurbishment now allows increased space in the surgery and more facilities for the patients, and some more room for the administration staff. "We were grateful to the mayor for cutting the ribbon and for saying a few words." Dr Holden added: "This is an example of how we are striving to maintain ourselves at the forefront of primary care in the modern NHS." In the week of the NHS' 60th anniversary, a petition in the form of a birthday a card was signed by several hundred patients at the Swan Surgery against the Government's polyclinic proposals.