PEOPLE are being asked for their views on the future shape of hospital services in Winchester and Eastleigh.

Bosses at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Winchester, Basingstoke and Andover hospitals, have been working on proposals for a new emergency care unit since 2012.

Now GPs have a bigger say in the commissioning of services, local people are being consulted.

Planning for a new emergency hospital started at the end of 2012. It would take the sickest 20 per cent of patients, including major trauma victims, heart attacks and strokes.

The new unit would have specialist consultants on site 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Less serious A&E patients would go to a minor injury unit in Andover, the RHCH and Basingstoke hospitals.

Other more controversial proposals include moving consultant-led maternity care and the special care baby unit to the new emergency unit.

This would see maternity services at Winchester and Basingstoke downgraded to midwife-led centres for straightforward births. Andover already has a centre.

More complicated cases, including caesarean sections and pregnant women who feel safer in a hospital setting, would go to the new unit with obstetricians and hi-tech care.

Now HHFT, North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, have launched a joint public consultation.

People are being asked to say what is most important for them in five different scenarios - non-urgent, urgent care, emergency care, visiting and maternity.

For a questionnaire contact Hampshire.hospitals@hhft.nhs.uk or ring 01256 313062.