Norwich MPs campaign against walk-in centre closure
The centre has said it will have to choose between cutting its opening hours or closing
Both Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) and Clive Lewis (Norwich South) are campaigning to save the Norwich NHS Walk-In Centre after the Norfolk and Waveney ICB announced that closure was back on the table.
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) - which sees about 72,000 patients a year - almost closed in 2023, but a consultation at the time gained thousands of responses, with many raising fears about access to healthcare.
A new contract was eventually agreed to keep the centre open.
But now the ICB has announced that it is reviewing the future of the service in order to reallocate funding to GP services. It said that closing the service in Rouen Road would free up £1.5m a year while opening only in the morning would save £750,000.
Alice Macdonald MP, said: “I’m shocked that, after our city came together to save our NHS Walk- In centre, a proposal to close it is once again on the table.
"My constituents deserve excellent primary care, and a city-centre based walk-in facility that is both accessible and free at the point of use. We will once again stand up and make our case that this is not a ‘one-or-the-other’ situation whereby offering a walk-in service means that GP services will suffer.
"In my recent NHS consultation with local residents, many people raised the difficulty of accessing healthcare where they live, so the city-centre location is absolutely vital for so many of my constituents.
I know how valued the centre is and I’ll fight for it again.”
Clive Lewis MP, said: “I will fight these proposed cuts to our Walk-In Centre.
"It is well-used and helps prevent people from getting so ill that they need far more intensive care later on, putting even more strain on our health and care systems.
"Enormous wider challenges, including an increasingly ageing population and the urgent imperative to cut emissions, mean the big picture is that we need far more jobs in health and care. These proposed cuts would take us in the completely wrong direction.”
An NHS walk-in centre has launched a consultation on its future, after announcing it has a £280m gap in its budget.
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) almost closed in 2023, but a consultation at the time gained thousands of responses, with many raising fears about access to healthcare.
The consultation on the proposed changes is set to run until 27 April, with the final decision due to be made in June.
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