New walk-in health centre planned for Hereford

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust is recommending that Hereford has a new GP-led walk-in health centre, which would be open between 8am and 8pm every day of the year, for both registered and not registered patients.

The new centre would work closely with the hospital's accident and emergency service, which faces pressure from attendees who have minor ailments but could be treated more quickly by a health centre, which would be linked to a 24-hour medical, dental and social care service.

Herefordshire Council's health scrutiny committee heard (Wednesday 18 June) that there could be a need for a city-based centre - but not an all-service solution, which the government proposes for every primary care trust area in the country. The NHS wants to establish at least 150 GP led health centres nationwide. In addition, and all primary care trusts will be required to ensure that at least 50 per cent of GP practices provide extended opening hours.

The health scrutiny committee heard that the proposals for a 'local model' that makes the most of existing services and does not duplicate them. It was put together following consultation with patients and GPs, and a local needs assessment.

Potential users of the service include the 22,400 people who commute to Hereford city each day. The peak flow of patients attending the accident and emergency department is between 8am and 7pm, suggesting that the new centre could alleviate pressure on emergency care and reduce patient waiting times.

Chair of health scrutiny, Councillor Dr Kay Swinburne, said: "The proposals for extended access to GP services in Hereford were welcomed because they were demonstrably based on local need. There is the additional benefit of reducing inappropriate accident and emergency attendances".

Herefordshire is well provided with accessible GPs and primary care services, with 87 per cent of local people happy with existing services. The primary care trust did not want the new centre to 'compete' with GP provision and plans for Hereford, and did not see value for money in a 'polyclinic' approach, which might work in other parts of England where access to GPs and patient satisfaction is not as good.

The primary care trust has invited bids from organisations interested in setting up GP-led health centre, and the deadline for those was 6 June. It expects to award a contract in December in time for the service to be launched in April 2009.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust has already given a commitment via its Local Development Plan and a statement of intent to the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority that it intends to deliver a new GP-led health centre.