Walk-in centre hours cut

OPENING hours at West Lancashire Health Centre and Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre are being reduced.

The changes will come into effect from Monday.

West Lancashire Health Centre, at Ormskirk Hospital, will continue to open at 8am every day but the last booking for a nurse will now be 7.30pm, and not 9pm.

Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre, at The Concourse, will open an hour later at 8am, with the last booking to see a nurse changing to 7.30pm instead of 9pm, Monday to Friday. Weekend opening times of 9am to 5pm remain the same.

Interim chief executive Iain McInnes said: “Through a combination of sickness and vacant posts we are unable to fill, the Trust has experienced a severe shortage of appropriate clinical staff at both walk-in centres.

“We have had no alternative but to adapt the opening hours to fit the staff we have available and maintain a safe service for patients. We will, however, keep staffing under regular review.

“Only a very small number of patients choose to use these services in the late evening, but I want to apologise to anyone who is inconvenienced.”

Anyone who thinks they need medical help outside the walk-in centre opening hours should examine their options.

When you need medical help or advice fast, but it is not a 999 emergency, call the NHS 111 service. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and calls are free from mobiles and landlines.

For more information, please visit www.examine youroptions.info