HEALTH chiefs deferred making a decision on the future of consultant outpatient clinics held at Malmesbury Hospital because they were unhappy with the lack of detail in the information presented to them.

At a meeting on Tuesday the board of Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust was recommended to agree the closure of several outpatient clinics.

But board members were unhappy with the report written by Arthur Belbin, the trust's acting director of primary care and corporate performance, and ordered more information be provided at its meeting on July 27 when the board is expected to make decisions.

Trust chairman Tim Boucher said the report did not say what financial savings would be achieved or how the proposals would impact on residents and there was no time scale on when clinics would close.

He said: "We cannot accept the report as it stands. I would be happy to see a separate report dealing with the immediate changes to clinics and justifying this."

Phil Day, director of strategic service change who presented the report in the absence of Mr Belbin, told the board: "We need to get things organised so we can have more clinics in Devizes, reduce clinics in Malmesbury and look more at what it means to Chippenham. There will be further work with the district general hospitals about what services we want to be provided."

Up to 11 clinics at Malmesbury Hospital are under threat of closure including ophthalmology, gynaecology and dentistry.