PATIENTS of ousted GP Barney Williams will put health chiefs in the hot seat at a public meeting at Sheldon School in Chippenham on Tuesday.

The Friends of Marshfield Surgery have organised the meeting with Steven Golledge, acting chief executive of Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, and Tim Boucher, the PCT chairman.

Mr Golledge will put himself in the firing line when patients and other members of the public demand answers to questions about the removal of Dr Williams from the NHS list and other PCT matters.

Mr Golledge agreed to attend the meeting and listen to patients, provided an agenda was drawn up and he had a chance to see the questions prior to the meeting.

Cedric Norton, chairman of the Friends, said many questions had been submitted and as some 200 people attended the last meeting, he hoped a similar number would turn out this time.

"We have questions about Dr Williams and why the PCT decided to close him down when they did not need to," he said.

Dr Williams was sacked by the PCT following a dispute about out of hours care.

Dr Williams, who runs the Marshfield Road practice single-handed, stopped providing his patients with out of hours care and he was not allowed to join the out-of-hours co-operative set up by other surgeries in the area.

Consequently he was removed from NHS lists and his patients were assigned instead to the Hathaway Surgery.

Dr Williams has appealed against the decision, and his appeal will be heard in Gloucester on May 5.

"The patients have put together a large number of questions, and there are many very good questions," said Dr Williams.

"We hope as many people as possible will come along to listen to the questions and answers."

Dr Williams is continuing to run his practice on a private basis and many patients have remained loyally on his lists, even if they have to pay for a consultation.

Dr Williams said he had a full surgery on Tuesday morning and confirmed they were making a sufficient income to cover their costs.

However he is eager to become an NHS practice once again and hopes the hearing will conclude in his favour.

"The case is so strong it will be a manifest injustice if I do not win," he said.

"They have dropped me from the list on the grounds that I did not provide an adequate out of hours service. But they did provide it and I paid for it.

"I have lots of things to be happy about in my life but I think I can do a great deal of good if I can work for the NHS again."

He said the surgery could be up and running as an NHS practice within two weeks if they get the go-ahead.

"I think this will be the last of the big meetings, and it is the most important," he said.

"The Friends have done a marvellous job in persuading Mr Golledge and his co-workers to face the music."