Keep it open for good
Anger as closure is delayed for SIXTH time
NHS bosses have been warned that the fight to save Accrington’s walk-in centre is gathering pace - after it received YET ANOTHER stay of execution.
Campaigners have been left exas- perated by the news that its closure has been delayed for the SIXTH time, pushing it back from March until the summer.
Make no mistake, for those fighting for it to stay open permanently, this minor victory could feel very shortlived indeed.
As things stand the walk-in centre, which has been used by around 120 people a day, will shut its doors for good on June 16.
Patients have been given so many closure dates it is enough to make their heads spin. The good news is that the campaign to save the centre is going from strength-to-strength, with 23,000 people signing the petition. Our message to health bosses is that this changes nothing, we don’t want its closure delayed any more times. Now is the time to scrap your plans to close it for good.
CAMPAIGNERS are calling on NHS bosses to scrap plans to close Accrington Victoria walk in centre, altogether after it was given a sixth stay of execution.
The walk-in centre, which opened in 2009, was due to close at the end of this month.
It will now remain open until June 16 this year, East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group [ CCG] confirmed.
Kimberley Whitehead, the campaign’s figurehead, welcomed the extension, but only insofar as it means the centre, based at the Accrington Victoria Hospital, will remain open for longer.
She said: “What I don’t welcome is that it’s the sixth stay of execution now - it’s completely unacceptable. What the hell is going on?
“We will continue with our handover of the petition and also continue the quest to retain this vital service. If they’re [the CCG] not sure, they shouldn’t be committing to the closure.”
The closure of the walkin centre, originally earmarked for October 2015, has now been delayed SIX times.
Chris Reid, chairman of the Great Harwood Patients’ Participation group, said bosses had misjudged the public mood after around 23,000 people backed a petition to save the centre.
He said: “We welcome the delay in the closure of the GP walk-in centre.
“The CCG realise they have underestimated the need for the service and the anger it has caused.
“We will fight the CCG tooth and nail on this issue. The CCG should save a lot of stress all round and continue to fund a much used and needed service.”
In a statement the CCG said the 11-week extension of the contract would ‘assist a smooth transition to a new system of extended GP access in the area, with a gradual reduction in opening hours of the health access centre service.’
Mark Youlton, CCG accountable officer, said: “We can now confirm that the Accrington Health Access Centre will remain open until June 16.
“Other services provided in Accrington Victoria Community Hospital including the Minor Injuries Unit, the X-ray department or any other inpatient or out-patient services are not affected.
“The centre was originally established to provide additional access to health care for conditions that people would normally see their GP for.
“As such it was set up as a form of extended GP access and not as a service for urgent or emergency conditions.
“In December we introduced a new model of extended GP access in Hyndburn, which means that patients will have improved access to local GP services both on weekday evenings and over the weekend.”