Council defers hearing on planning application for walk in health centre

Herefordshire Council’s planning committee today agreed to defer consideration of a planning application from NHS Herefordshire for a new £1.5million walk-in health centre within the grounds of the Stonebow Unit, close to the county hospital in Hereford.

The council’s health scrutiny committee had previously (25 September 2009) requested the deferment, which was agreed to by NHS Herefordshire, to allow positive talks to continue on proposals to locate the health centre at another site, next to the county hospital’s accident and emergency department.

Talks between the primary care trust and the hospital were restarted after £1.5 million in government money had been secured to build a state of the art, fully equipped health centre. The new centre is set to significantly improve access to GP services in the city, enabling local people to walk in without an appointment at any time between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week, to suit their busy lifestyles. The primary care trust’s consultation programme found strong public support for the walk-in health centre.

Talks between the primary care trust and the hospital are progressing strongly and if successful, will supersede the planning application to place the centre within one third of the grounds of the Stonebow Unit.

In the meantime, NHS Herefordshire is set to provide interim walk-in, GP services in Hereford before Christmas. It is to open a temporary 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. 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.

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.