DEVIZES GPs believe the proposed health campus at Green Lane, Devizes, will bring improvements in health services.

While many people have expressed concern about demolishing the hospital and having a health centre and nursing home, GPs believe the proposals will modernise services and benefit more people.

The 17 GPs serving the Devizes area met with trust chief executive Barbara Smith on Tuesday and gave their approval to most of the proposals.

Dr Charles Cowen, the chairman of the Devizes GP committee, said: "The proposals do mean that the hospital in its current format will change but we are absolutely clear that we want to retain as many of the services as possible and if possible to improve the services and diversify in what is provided.

"That may not result in a single building that we call a hospital."

Dr Cowen said the proposal to have specialist rehabilitation beds in a wing of a nursing home on the Green Lane site would be an innovative, flexible and cost-effective way of providing beds.

He said the GPs would press for the new health campus to have an X-ray and ultrasound facility. The trust wants the service closed.

The trust is not planning to have a 24-hour minor injuries unit at the Green Lane site.

Instead people would have to go to Savernake or Chippenham hospitals out of hours.

But the GPs were told that the trust would consider having a satellite minor injuries service in Devizes for out-of-hours use, which could consist of the GP on call being based in Devizes from time to time.

Dr Cowen said: "The minor injuries unit at Devizes Hospital is a service which is used by a small number of people, particularly at night."

The trust is also considering siting a diagnostic and day surgery centre at the Green Lane site to serve the whole PCT area and beyond.

Dr Cowen said the diagnostic and day surgery centre at the Green Lane site would serve the whole trust.

"We might lose some services but gain others," he said.

"But if we go for everything where we possibly can, we will get a modern health facility in Devizes."

Margaret Williams, the local Royal College of Nursing union rep, said she would be working to make sure staff whose jobs disappeared as a result of the changes were offered meaningful alternative posts.

"Most people will be happy to move with the times and do extra training so they can look after patients and can do the job,"she said.