Health centre hit by its own success

HEALTH chiefs have urged fewer patients to use a new walk-in centre set up to improve access to NHS services – after it proved too popular.

Bosses at NHS Barnsley say four times as many people are visiting Barnsley Health Centre than expected.

They had predicted around 5,000 patients would use the centre annually but 20,000 people have sought help at the surgery in its first 12 months.

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Now they want patients to use alternatives, warning they cannot afford to increase spending on the service.

Around 150 walk-in centres were set up around the country by Labour to improve access to NHS care.

The Barnsley surgery run by private firm Primecare is open from 8am-8pm seven days a week.

NHS bosses say in the current financial climate, they felt "obliged not to increase planned public spending to this centre when a range of suitable alternatives already exist".

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NHS Barnsley spokesman GP Steve Ball said: "We had budgeted for a certain amount of care to be provided through the walk-in centre and nothing we are doing changes that.

"However, we need to take care that we are not spending unplanned money there that could otherwise be spent on paying for other front-line services. Whilst the health centre is conveniently located, people will still be able to get the treatment and care they need using other services such as their own GP or the out-of-hours services."

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