11:20am Friday 3rd July 2009
MORE than 2,500 people have used Colchester’s new walk-in centre in its first month.
The North Colchester Healthcare Centre opened in Turner Road on June 1 after moving from Middleborough, in the town centre.
Since then, 2,629 people have attended the new centre, not including those attending for blood tests – a weekly average of 657 people.
The weekly average for the old walk-in centre during May was 550.
Sharon Waters, project manager at NHS North East Essex, said the figures were very encouraging.
She added: “The fact the average weekly attendance is more than 100 up on the last month at the old walk-in centre suggests accessibility is not an issue.
“In the first four weeks, we have also had 25 people register at the new surgery, a figure we expect to see steadily grow as more people become aware of the opportunity.”
Colchester MP Bob Russell, who was critical about moving the centre, said he wondered how many people now walked to it.
He added: “Clearly, people are using the centre, but you have to ask whether it is a walk-in centre or a medical centre which people drive to.
“I hope it is successful, but the increase in the number of people is negligible.
“It’s difficult to compare the two because the new one has services which the old one didn’t have.
“But we know the streets around the centre are experiencing parking problems from people using it.”
The centre is open from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week and 365 days a year.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/trade_directory/