Under threat Sheffield NHS centre may now be saved

The walk-in centre on Broad Lane and the minor injuries unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital had been earmarked for closure under plans to reshape urgent care facilities in the city.

They were to be replaced with a single centre at the Northern General Hospital but a consultation on the proposals was unexpectedly scrapped last year after they were met with widespread public opposition.

Now, Dr Tim Moorhead, the outgoing chairman of Sheffield’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, said extra money provided by the Government’s new contract for GPs meant closing the walk-in centre may no longer be needed.

A number of Star readers have taken to Facebook to welcome the move.

Patricia Winfield said: “Good, I had to use it in April at a weekend when there is no other alternative. Really necessary and fantastic staff.”

Nita Walker added: “it's an essential service for that side of Sheffield – so glad they came to their senses.”

Neil Thomas described it as “excellent news.”

Jon Stevens posted: “It is a travesty that these centres are even possibly under any kind of threat.

“They’ve been a great source of comfort and a brilliant service when I’ve needed it.”

Dr Moorhead said: “One of the things I wanted to invest more in was general practice as most people don’t want to go to hospital.

“Because of financial constraints we have been less successful at that than I would have liked but that is on the way now with the new GP contract.

“So we might not need to do another consultation on urgent care because the changes are already happening.

“We are not proposing any changes to the walk-in centre at the present time.”

The news comes as the CCG achieved a good rating from the Care Quality Commission for the third year running, something Dr Moorhead said he was ‘really pleased’ about.

He will leave his role in the next few months and he said being the CCG’s first and so far only chair had been ‘a privilege’.