Mass closure of NHS walk-in centres is fuelling winter crisis, claim campaigners

Easy access to medical help for many denied after 40% of services shut

Dozens of NHS walk-in centres have shut since 2010, depriving patients of easy access to medical help for minor ailments without having to wait days for an appointment, and adding to the pressure on A&E units.

A total of 95 walk-in centres – 40% of the overall original number – have closed since the Conservatives came to power, or are due to shut soon, says the campaigning organisation 38 Degrees.

A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied.

We will be monitoring the situation in hospitals over the next few months and want to hear your experiences of the NHS this winter. We are keen to hear from healthcare professionals as well as patients about the situation. Have operations been cancelled? Has pressure led to certain wards being closed? How are staff coping? Help us document what is going on across the UK.

Related: A&E units, GP surgeries and walk-in centres to close as cash crisis bites

Continue reading... January 07, 2018 at 06:25AM