NHS Wandsworth has been criticised by the borough’s health watchdog after it watered down-plans for health services in Battersea.

Plans for a new super surgery, which would have contained several GPs and out-patient services under one roof, have been scrapped as budgets across the NHS have been frozen.

Instead, NHS Wandsworth’s will offer services on two separate sites, while new investment remains “on hold”.

Councillor Ian Hart, chairman of Wandsworth Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee - which oversees Wandsworth’s health issues - said: “The residents of Battersea are going to be very disappointed with the Battersea Polysystem proposals.

“These plans have been much scaled down and changed from what they were originally consulted on last year. Residents will feel that they have lost the Bollingbroke Hospital in return for a temporary pre-fab on the Grant Road site.”

An NHS Wandsworth spokeswoman said: “We looked at a range of possibilities for providing polysystem services in the area. From our review it is clear that basing the full range of polysystem services at these two sites provides local residents with the maximum benefits, whilst making the best use of the resources and existing space available.

“Proposals for the construction of a new single site polyclinic hub in Grant Road are currently on hold, and we will be constantly monitoring the performance of the joint hub, to make sure care is being delivered appropriately. To help us do this, we will be working with patients, clinicians and the community.

“The range of services provided at St John’s Therapy Centre, together with the GP Led Health Centre’s additional walk-in services, means the two sites form a fully functioning polyclinic hub, offering patients a variety of easily accessible services, much closer to where they live.”

Wandsworth LINk, a body representing patients’ interests, has offered to share the cost of further consultation with NHS Wandsworth on how to advance the one site proposal.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that NHS Wandsworth spent £32,000 on its Battersea and north Wandsworth Consultation between January and May 2008.