Campaigners have issued a final rallying cry to save the ‘vital’ Accrington Victoria Hospital walk-in centre from closure next month.
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition in just a week with a series of action days planned over the next few weeks.
The GP centre is set to close on March 31 after being given a FIFTH stay of execution by health bosses.
It was originally due to close in October 2015 but this was postponed after a joint campaign between the Observer and Hyndburn Council.
The service is being replaced with new ‘health hubs’ run by a consortium of GPs.
Kimberley Whitehead, from Baxenden, launched a new online petition last week which already has around 10,000 signatures.
More than 600 people have also signed a paper petition which has been distributed to local shops and businesses.
Walk-in centre users and residents gathered outside the facility on Wednesday to voice their support for the campaign.
Carole Grady, from Oswaldtwistle, said: “It’s just dreadful that a really vital service could be closed. I’m appalled.
“I have used it in the past and when my mum had a minor injury. She stayed in the community ward.
“I spoke to my GP a few days ago and she was horrified. It will put more and more pressure on services that are already underfunded and overstretched.”
Mohammad Bilal, 35, from Accrington, said: “I use this service all the time because it’s almost impossible to get an appointment with a GP.
“If your child is sick then you want them to get attention straight away and not have to wait a couple of days for an appointment.”
Kathryn Brogan, from Clayton-le-Moors, said: “I really appreciate how valuable it is as it’s so difficult to get access to a GP. If you look at the amount of people inside then you can see how important it is.
“I hope the campaign works. If it doesn’t then I think it could be the first step in closing down the whole thing.”
Petition founder Kimberley Whitehead, 37, said: “The service is extremely well used and we do not believe that the provision proposed will be enough to manage demand.
“We believe that this will put more pressure on the already oversubscribed A&E department at Royal Blackburn Hospital and the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington Victoria.
“We had a public meeting on Friday (January 26) which was very positive and we had a lot of people from the community turn up to offer their support.
“From that we decided we would have some action days and get out and talk to the community.
“We went up to Accrington Victoria and did a collection for the petition. We got over 300 signatures in just 90 minutes which was pretty impressive. It was very busy. There was a lot of support.
“The walk-in centre is vital for the town. It’s important that we show we are fighting for our services. Where do we end up next? What’s next on the hit list?
“I’m still to meet one person who supports this new system.”
Figures from 2015 showed the centre was being used by 34,000 people a year. Campaigners will hit Accrington town centre again between 11am and 1pm on Saturday, February 3, to collect more signatures before heading to Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium from 2pm.
The petition will run until the end of February and will be submitted by Hyndburn MP Graham Jones to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, in March.
To sign it visit change.org and search for ‘Accrington walkin’.
Health bosses said they are ‘actively working’ to ensure a ‘smooth and timely transition’ when the walk-in centre closes.
Jackie Hanson, chief nurse and deputy chief officer at NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “East Lancashire CCG is committed to ensuring that patients have access to services which meet their needs.
“Following extensive patient engagement, a new GP Extended Access Service was successfully launched in December 2017 to make more appointments available for the residents of Hyndburn and to ensure that there is routine access to a GP seven days a week.
“This service is available via people’s own GP. We are actively working with the providers of both the Extended Access Service and the walk-in centre to ensure a smooth and timely transition from one model to the next.
“Further details will be made available to patients over the coming weeks.”
