Devizes Family Health Centre is to close with all the services relocating to Devizes Hospital.

NHS Wiltshire confirmed the closure this week after rumours circulated at a public meeting organised by the newly-formed group, Devizes Health Matters, on Thursday.

The clinic in New Park Street was always going to close but not until services had relocated, along with those at Devizes Hospital, to a new Primary Care Centre. But this project has faltered.

The closure comes as NHS Wiltshire seeks to make efficiency savings of £40 million this year.

A spokesman for NHS Wiltshire said it was not yet known what the refurbishment costs would be of relocating to Devizes Hospital, parts of which are unused following the closure of inpatient beds, the maternity and minor injury units in 2007.

The clinic provides emergency dental treatment and sexual health services and health visitors and school nurses are based there.

The site will be sold off with the money retained by NHS Wiltshire towards capital improvements.

“We are aware that people want to see services returning to the hospital,” said the spokesman. “Patients who use Devizes Health Clinic know that the building is in a certain state of disrepair.

“It therefore makes sense to dispose of the property so that we can keep and improve the ones that are sustainable to meet the needs of patients and staff.

“The money saved will be reinvested to provide care for an ageing population, new technologies and drugs and new ways to deliver services for patients.”

Town councillor Paula Winchcombe, who chairs Devizes Community Area Health and Social Care Forum, said: “The public need to be reassured that health services will not be reduced following the planned relocation of health clinic facilities to the Devizes Community Hospital site.

“Reassurances are also required that allocated funding for the planned Primary Care Centre in Devizes is still secure given the current financial climate.”