The centre – which will be open until 8pm, seven days a week – can be used by anyone whether or not they are registered.

If all goes to plan, the surgery will open by April next year, and is planned to be within a mile of the Guildhall, although a site is yet to be found.

The aim is to improve access for patients who struggle to get appointments at their regular surgeries.

It will be one of the 150 new centres the government wants to open across the country – dubbed 'polyclinics' – that have been criticised by the British Medical Association, which says it would lead to GP surgeries being privatised.

But Cllr Leo Madden, in charge of health and social care, welcomed the announcement, saying: 'I'm totally in favour of this, I think it's fantastic.

'Anything that brings healthcare to the people of Portsmouth has my total support.'

The Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust is behind the plans.

As well as GP appointments there will also be services for patients with long-term conditions – such as asthma, diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Health minister Lord Darzi wants to see a range of services traditionally carried out in hospitals, such as minor surgery, dermatology, diabetes care and diagnostic scans, done in these community centres.

Debbie Tarrant, the PCT's director of primary care, said: 'This is about enhancing our local primary care and GP services – not replacing them.'

But Michael Summers, vice-chairman of the Patients Association, hit out at the plans, saying: 'We have to stop and ask ourselves if this is the way of the future.

'If services are being sold off to the private sector, is that beneficial to the patients?

'Where will they obtain the GPs from?

'And will the company be more answerable to their shareholders than the patients?

'Will the continuity of care be damaged? There are a lot of questions at this stage.'