NHS Wandsworth is looking for a new organisation to take over the running of one of its primary care centres - sparking fears a private company might try to “profit from other peoples' sickness”.

A spokesman for the borough’s current healthcare provider confirmed services at the Furzedown Primary Care Centre are to become the responsibility of an outside organisation.

The decision to put out to tender the Eardley Road centre’s services was agreed earlier this month at a trust board meeting of NHS Wandsworth.

In response, Mike Squires, representing the South West London Keep Our NHS Public campaign, said: “If the tender to contract is gained by a private company, or one of the big health corporations, it will mean yet another part, albeit very small, of our NHS has been taken out of public, democratic ownership, and given over to the private sector.

“NHS Wandsworth has a duty to inform patients and the public that there will be a change of ownership of Furzedown Primary Care Centre.

“Do people in the Furzedown area know what may happen to their health centre ? Have they been told that it could be taken over by a private company, whose main aim will be to profit from other peoples' sickness?

“Patients in the Furzedown area should contact NHS Wandsworth and let their feelings be known about the threatened privatisation of their health centre.”

NHS Wandsworth has yet to reveal whether staff employed under NHS terms and conditions at the site are in danger of losing their jobs.

However, a spokesman said: “We are currently looking for a new organisation to run the services at Furzedown Primary Care Centre.

“This is part of the national Transforming Community Services programme where primary care trusts (PCTs) can no longer buy and run services at the same time.

“We are looking for a ‘like for like’ service as well as expecting improvements in the quality of services for patients.

“Furzedown Primary Care Centre will provide the same services, in the same building and be maintaining its patient list.

“We have already run a meeting with patients to discuss the changes and everyone is welcome to come along to the next one.

“We will advertise the date in the centre shortly.”