By withdrawing its offer to sell land at 17, Craven Road the Royal Berks Hospital Trust has stopped a project to build a multi-practice, high-facility GP medical centre in south-east Reading. The primary care strategy for South Reading CCG area (most of Reading south of the Thames) envisages collaborations and mergers between GP practices to meet increased demand and patient expectations for services and access. Patients can benefit when doctors specialise and share the responsibilities of running a practice. And patients could use a broader range of services out of hospital. Some of our small practices have been rated "inadequate" by the Care Quallity Commission and put into special measures. Working together with other practices could help to raise standards. Three local practices have been working together since the Royal Berkshire Hospital offered to sell land on the east side of Craven Road in 2011 to develop the plans for a multi-practice GP medical centre. They are believed to be Pembroke Surgery, London Street Surgery and Kennet and Christchurch Surgery. Reputedly, over 100.000 pounds was spent by NHS England (then responsible for GP primary care) on a feasibility study for the new centre. Full architectural plans have been drawn up and granted planning permission recently by Reading Borough Council. But now the project is halted because the hospital trust has withdrawn its offer to sell while it reassesses its options. The four CCGs of Western Berkshire are jointly taking responsibility for GP primary care in their area now. And they provide the bulk of income for the hospital. So can the various parties, and perhaps representatives of the public, not get together with an open mind and a flexible approach and sort this out? Members of South Reading Patient Voice heard a description of the medical centre project and its rationale from Dr Gerard d'Cruz of Pembroke Surgery in March 2016. But apart from that patients are standing on the sidelines wondering exactly what is being proposed and what will happen when.