Residents would continue receiving NHS services at Chase Community Hospital if plans for the long-awaited health hub fail to go ahead, health bosses have said. 

The assurance was given during a meeting of Hampshire County Council’s health and adult social care select committee, where councillors were updated on the future of the proposed Whitehill & Bordon health hub.

The project would bring together services currently provided at Forest Surgery, Chase Community Hospital and Chase Pharmacy in a purpose-built facility in Bordon town centre.

But negotiations are continuing between NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, East Hampshire District Council, the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation and development partners, with value-for-money concerns still to be resolved.

During the meeting, councillor David Podger asked what would happen to services currently provided at Chase Hospital if no agreement can be reached.

Responding, James Roach, director for neighbourhood health at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: “We’ve always been clear, we need to commission healthcare and meet the needs of the local population.

“I think we’ve also been consistently clear that if an alternative cannot be agreed, we would be seeking to maintain service at Chase Hospital.”

The comments provide the clearest indication yet of what could happen if the health hub does not proceed.

NHS leaders stressed they remain committed to delivering the scheme.

Mr Roach added: “It’s been a long-standing debate in terms of how we best take this forward.

“All parties are absolutely committed to getting this resolved as quickly as possible, at no later than the end of the calendar year.”

He added that all parties were working towards a Christmas Eve deadline set by East Hampshire District Council.

“The leader of East Hampshire District Council provided a deadline for Christmas Eve. We’re all working to that.”

The comments were welcomed by Andy Tree, deputy leader of East Hampshire District Council.

He said: “The new commitment appears positive as I understand the previous NHS ICB commitments have been to keep Chase Hospital open until such time a Health Hub replaces it, without giving an absolute reassurance of what happens if Health Hub plan collapses.”

However, he urged the NHS to go further, adding: “Chase Hospital must be retained if the Health Hub does not happen, with all the services currently provided from it and the opportunity to increase in the future, for example an Urgent Treatment Centre.”

Last month, East Hampshire District Council warned it would seek to overturn the council’s £1 million contribution to the project if agreement is not reached by December 24.

According to NHS papers, the proposed hub would provide more clinical space than currently available at Forest Surgery while accommodating all community health services currently delivered from Chase Community Hospital, alongside pharmacy services and facilities for visiting specialists.