THE Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group has moved to ease the fears of patients ahead of the walk-in health centre’s closure.

Though the walk-in services on Islington Street will be withdrawn on April 1, the CCG says other services inside the larger Swindon NHS Health Centre on the site – the pharmacy, GP practices and sexual health clinic – will not be affected.

It says an audit of the walk-in centre showed that most people going there were doing so for services that are available or more effectively provided at GP practices, like blood tests and wound care, and many visitors were registered with GPs based elsewhere in the health centre.

Patients attending the walk-in centre before the end of March will be seen – but using alternative services like calling NHS 111, seeing a GP or pharmacist is encouraged.

A dedicated phlebotomy clinic has been set up within the health centre so that people needing urgent blood tests can visit on a drop-in basis every weekday between 8am and 12.30pm.

Healthcare for homeless people, many of whom use the walk-in centre as an alternative to registering with a GP, will continue to be available in the town centre as both GP practices based in the Swindon NHS Health Centre, along with 10 others across the borough, are taking on patients with no fixed address.

In addition, people living with a drug addiction will still be able to exchange needles in the Swindon NHS Health Centre by visiting the pharmacy on the ground floor.

Plans are also under way for a dedicated wound care clinic, providing services such as redressing and packing open wounds, as well as removing stitches, to be established.

Director of nursing and quality Gill May said: “These changes, which follow national directives, will help us ensure people receive the care they need in the most appropriate environment.

“We know people use the walk-in centre as a way of not having to wait for a GP appointment, but we also know that care is always more effective when given by somebody already familiar with a person’s medical history.

“Over the last five years, we have invested heavily in primary care across Swindon to enable practices to do more for patients, such as plan in more evening and weekend appointments, and we hope this will make it easier for people to be seen by the right healthcare professional at their GP practice.

“Swindon is rich with places to go for quick healthcare, with the most effective option often being the local pharmacy, which can provide help for minor health conditions and even write repeat prescriptions.

“There are more than 40 pharmacies in Swindon, which means a person is never more than a few minutes away from their nearest point of instant care and treatment.

“For more pressing health concerns, people should phone NHS 111, which is much more than just a hotline for advice, as the trained call handlers can signpost patients to the most appropriate service and even book out-of-hours GP appointments.

“People also have the option of visiting the Urgent Care Centre at the Great Western Hospital for care and treatment for conditions that need urgent medical attention but are not life threatening.”