Doctors who had paid £15 to meet health secretary in Fareham were told reception was cancelled, but it went ahead elsewhere

A meeting of Jeremy Hunt, Conservative activists and junior doctors was never likely to feature cordial conversation over drinks and canapés, scheduled as it was during the fiercest NHS pay and conditions dispute in years.

But when an event on Friday at a hotel in Fareham, Hampshire, was said by local Tories to have been called off, what might have been an uncomfortable couple of hours for the health secretary caused yet more anger.

Doctors who had paid £15 for the pleasure of seeing Hunt later found out that the event had quietly been moved to another location, with those in attendance being checked to ensure that they had no medics in tow.

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Kathryn Carey-Jones wrote on Facebook: “ I could have accepted being told I am not allowed to attend given recent events, but I was lied to, to keep me away ... This is dishonesty at its best and would not be accepted from a doctor to a politician. If this is the way the local Conservatives treat their local doctors, what can we expect from the rest? Imagine if we lied to the public like this ...”

GP Emma Nash told Portsmouth News that a friend she was going with, who is a Conservative party member, was refused access to the venue until she convinced organisers that there were no doctors with her.

“I feel really disappointed. There is a lack of respect for me, as a professional, to be told as a medic I’m not allowed to go somewhere where my own secretary of state is going to be,” Nash said.

“If they had said ‘no doctors’, then fine. But to tell us it was cancelled and go and have it at Fareham college is deceitful.

“How are we supposed to have any kind of faith in somebody who deliberately manipulates their way out of seeing us?”

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Thomas Fyfe, the chairman of Fareham Conservative Association, was quoted by local media as saying: “Because of the very real threat of disturbance from groups circulating details of our planned reception with Jeremy Hunt, the advertised event was cancelled on security grounds.

“A small party event for party members to meet Mr Hunt was held instead at another location. We regret the inconvenience caused to those who had bought tickets and were unable to attend, all of whom will be offered a full refund.”

Hunt announced last week that the government would impose a new contract on junior doctors that he says is needed to ensure a seven-day NHS. However, the Guardian has established that 152 foundation trusts have the power to come to their own local deals with doctors.