WARRINGTON South MP Faisal Rashid has secured a meeting with a health minister to discuss the 'shocking delays' to the new Chapelford Medical Centre.

The site has been operating out of a portable unit, on Burtonwood Road, for more than a decade following repeated setbacks and problems with funding.

Mr Rashid believes the issues 'illustrate the problems that are being created by the fragmentation of the NHS'.

On Tuesday, after calling for an urgent update while raising the matter in Parliament, he secured a meeting with Steve Brine, parliamentary under secretary of state for public health and primary care.

He said: "The delays that my constituents are facing are shocking and completely unacceptable.

"The litany of difficulties that have beset this project perfectly illustrate the problems that are being created by the fragmentation of the NHS into a range of bodies that seem to find it very difficult to work together cohesively.

"It is utterly appalling that so many of my constituents have been without a decent medical facility for so long and ministers must be prepared to take real action on this issue.

"I look forward to meeting with the minister and hope to receive assurances that action will be taken to resolve this immediately.

"My constituents have waited long enough."

Last November, the council's development management committee passed proposals for a new GP surgery in Chapelford, on land adjacent to the Sainsbury's supermarket.

Planning permission had originally been given for the surgery in 2002, as part of the original application for the Chapelford development, on the site of the old RAF Burtonwood airbase.

However, it expired in May last year due to a condition that building work must begin within 15 years.