Eastham walk-in centre open by 2010, say health bosses

Sep 16 2009 by Matt Hurst, Bromborough and Bebington News

HEALTH bosses say Eastham’s long-awaited new walk-in Centre should be fully operational by the end of the year.

NHS Wirral originally planned to open the centre, based in the Eastham Clinic in Mill Park Road, in autumn but last month admitted work was not progressing “as speedily as anticipated”.

It has now pledged the centre will be open by the end of December.

The walk-in centre will offer an extended service seven days a week, on weekdays between 5pm and 9pm and weekends and bank holidays between 8am and 6pm.

The proposal was originally passed by the PCT’s Resources and Performance Committee on July 6 after residents at Bromborough and Eastham Area Forums said they were concerned over the lack of accessible healthcare in the southern part of the borough.

Cllr Phil Gilchrist told the News: “The health service, at the height of the flu concern on July 27, took the trouble to issue a press release.

“They felt confident enough then to do it and so I’m troubled by what’s dragging it out now.

“I’m assuming there isn’t a problem recruiting staff.

“I can understand a short delay, but a long delay begins to raise concerns about when this will happen.”

NHS Wirral’s website hailed the news of the new walk-in centre in July.

The article also promised “an out-of-hours GP service will be based here later in the year”.

But in August Glenn Coleman, head of NHS Wirral’s Bebington and West Wirral Locality, told Cllr Gilchrist that there were delays to the project.

He told him efforts had instead been focused towards “preparing for pandemic flu” and “issuing Tamiflu”.

A spokesperson for NHS Wirral said: “We’re planning to open by the end of the year.”