The town was one of three locations suggested as possible sites for the GP-led venue, which will be open 24 hours, from 8 am to 8 pm every day of the year.

Not only will it register patients in the traditional way but the centre will also act as a drop-in clinic for patients around the county.

It will also have at least one GP and one nurse available all day and will be open by next April at a cost likely to run into millions of pounds.

However Nottinghamshire County Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) have decided to launch the centre in a location in Mansfield or elsewhere in Ashfield, rather than in Hucknall. Newark is the other area to lose out.

The PCT launched a public consultation on the site for the new centre and factors ranging from the number of people that would be served to predicted house-growth and transport links were considered.

The decision to choose Mansfield/Ashfield should be approved at a board meeting next week.

But the PCT say they are still committed to improving health services in Hucknall.

Jon Holliday, assistant director of primary-care contracting at the PCT, said: "We had identified three potential locations for the health cenre. We used the responses from the public, along with research into other factors, such as health needs and demands on other services, to help us make our choice.

"This is a unique opportunity to invest in a service that will help dramatically improve access to primary-care services. Although under this scheme we had to pick only one location, we continue to be committed to improving services in Hucknall."

This is the second health knock-back for Hucknall after the town lost out in 2006 on £6 million for either a new health centre or a massive upgrade to the current centre on Curtis Street.