Improving patient choice, reducing waiting times and opening new diagnostic and treatment centres are top of the NHS agenda in Redhill and Reigate for the next three years.

At a preliminary health select committee meeting at Surrey County Council last week, NHS chiefs explained they aimed to increase the range of health care providers across the county.

With the intention of allowing patients more choice about where they visit the doctor, the new health select committee will also be looking at improving public transport to health care facilities.

Chairman of the select committee Diana Bowes said she was encouraged by the PCT and the Strategic Health Authority’s progress since their reorganisation in April last year: “It is important our partners in health know they are not alone when striving to deliver services.

“The role of the committee is to work collaboratively with the health service to make sure we meet the needs of local people. We are particularly keen to see more health education.” Each health agency was quizzed by the committee on how they proposed to achieve their targets considering the deficit of £85million inherited from the predecessor NHS organisations in the county.

Chief executive of Surrey and Sussex’s Strategic Health Authority, Simon Robbins, assured the committee’s councillors that the NHS Bank had approved more funding, which would help organisations get back into financial balance.

The next health select committee will be held at County Hall on Monday, July 7, when the committee will hold their official launch.

Specialists and members of the public are invited to submit views and give evidence to the committee, and councillors will visit patients, doctors, nurses and other health professionals across the county.