Walk-in centres

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The emergence of walk-in centres

The number of walk-in centres in England continues to increase. According to a University of Bristol report, commissioned by the Department of Health, some 74 per cent of consultations were managed entirely in a walk-in centre studied, and 45 per cent of patients would have contacted their GP if the centre had not been available. (Some 26 per cent would have gone to their local A&E.)

The report suggested that there was no significant difference between the quality of diagnosis, advice and treatment provided by walk-in centres versus GPs. Furthermore, nurse-led walk-in centres provided significantly better care than their medical colleagues in general practice in areas like asthma (see www.epi.bris.ac.uk/wic).

This whole agenda is about increasing NHS access, but with these centres being nurse-led and with extending roles and new prescribing rights being given to nurses (patient group directions, independent and supplementary), and along with more moves of POMs to Ps, NHS influencers may need to develop local strategies for these new units as their numbers grow.