Hyndburn's MP has given campaigners a boost by pledging to take the fight to keep Accrington’s patient walk-in centre to Parliament.

Graham Jones said he will write to the government’s Secretary of State for Health about the future of the ‘much-needed’ service at Accrington Victoria Hospital.

It comes as more than 2,500 people have signed a petition demanding to spare the walk-in centre from the axe.

Mr Jones said he has also written to the East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which has begun consulting on the future of the centre, to ‘express his concerns’.

He said: “The centre has been used by some 30,000 people in the constituency over that past 12 months and it is clear this service is in demand.

“I will be writing to the minister and raising my concerns should I get the opportunity in Parliament. I have also written to the CCG to make my views known and spoken to the chairman to express my concerns.

“I don’t want to see any of these go. Rather than cutting services we should be protecting the ones that are much needed.”

Since the campaign launched last week more than 1,500 people have signed up to the online petition with another 1,000 people signing hard copies.

The Observer has joined forces with Hyndburn Council to bid to save the centre which is used by an average of 100 people every day.

We are calling on the public to rally behind the unit which is under threat from health bosses after a £1m overspend last year.

Russ McLean, chairman of the Patients Voice Group in Pennine Lancashire, said he was delighted with the response to the campaign.

He said: “We are very humbled by the public’s response to the campaign so far.

“It’s been absolutely terrific but we need people to keep signing the petition.”

An extraordinary meeting of the full council will be held on Thursday, November 14 at 7pm to discuss the closure threat with representatives from the CCG.

East Lancs CCG has promised that the views of patients, residents and community groups would be fully considered. They have said they are under considerable funding pressure and need to decide if the GP walk-in centre is the best use of resources.

A consultation exercise is under way about the future of the centre with an online survey at the www.eastlancsccg.nhs.uk website.

Questionnaires are available on the East Lancashire CCG’s website, GP surgeries, libraries, public council buildings and the GP walk-in centre.

The consultation deadline will close on October 30.

To sign the petition visit: http://chn.ge/GRm8aR .