Hereford to get improved access to GP services by Christmas

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, is now set to provide walk-in, GP services in Hereford before Christmas.

The primary care trust is to open an interim service at the ASDA Health Centre in Hereford, which will enable local people to walk in, without an appointment, or pre-book an appointment at any time between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week, including over the Christmas holiday.

A permanent, modern new GP-led, walk in health centre, which is likely to be incorporated with the county hospital’s accident and emergency department, will replace the temporary service at ASDA when the new facility is completed in the summer next year. Negotiations between NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Hospitals NHS Trust to site the new facility at the hospital have been progressing strongly.

Patients will be able to use the new services whilst remaining registered with their own GP and it is anticipated that it will reduce the high workload of Hereford County Hospital's accident and emergency department.

"Our consultation found that there was strong public support for a new walk in health centre, so we are pleased to be able to offer the service from December this year”, said Dr Ian Williams, director of integrated commissioning for Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire.

“We are committed to ensuring that local people have more choice, greater convenience and flexible, responsive and accessible services that fit in with their busy lifestyles and specific needs”.

Talks with the hospital were restarted after NHS Herefordshire secured £1.5 million in government money to build a state of the art, fully equipped health centre. If successful, the new hospital site will supersede a planning application to place the centre within the grounds of the Stonebow Unit, which is situated very close to the county hospital.