'Logical' to keep at-risk walk-in centre open
An NHS walk-in centre in Norfolk which faced being closed down or having its opening hours reduced in a bid to save as much as £1.5m a year will remain open for now.
The facility in Norwich was one of three services NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) considered reviewing in a bid to save money.
Changes to its out-of-hours GP service and Vulnerable Adults Service were also explored, with patients asked for their views as part of a consultation.
Ed Garratt, interim chief executive of the ICB, said all proposals had been taken off the table and a U-turn at this stage made "logical sense".
"The strategic direction of the ICB is to increase 'neighbourhood' level services and improve access to primary care," he added.
He said the decision was in line with the government's 10-year national plan to shift resources from acute to community services, treatment to prevention and analogue to digital services.
"It therefore makes logical sense to end this consultation and take stock of plans once the 10 Year Plan has been published," he said.
The walk-in centre, at Rouen House, in Rouen Road, is used by about 72,000 people every year and previously faced closure in 2023 before a new contract was agreed.
But in March, the ICB said it was once again reviewing its future as it faced a £280m gap in its budget.
It said closing the service would free up £1.5m a year while opening only in the morning would save £750,000, with the money saved being put towards GP services.
Sadie Parker, director of primary care for the ICB, said the government's drive to address the challenges facing the NHS had encouraged them to reconsider.
She suggested the under-threat services could potentially play a key role in realising the government's goal of "developing a neighbourhood health service".
"The situation has changed and we are expecting further national guidance on this which will help inform how we plan for and provide local health services," she said.
The news of the U-turn has been welcomed by Norwich city councillor, Lucy Galvin, who sits on Norfolk's health overview and scrutiny committee.
"This was a hard-fought campaign and I am so glad to see it has resulted in this complete change of heart," she said.
"These services for the most vulnerable should never, ever have been under threat.
"I have seen first hand the patients and professionals who have been deeply concerned over the past few years. Now we need to see stable, transparent funding for these vital services."
Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said he was "pleased" the services would continue to operate.
"There was a concern the loss of the walk-in centre could have had a devastating impact on A&E units.
"As of this morning we had received 3,540 responses to the consultation around the walk-in centre and GP out-of-hours service, and 207 around the vulnerable adults service," he said.
"The overwhelming majority felt the walk-in centre was a vital care safety net for those who either struggled to get an appointment from their GP or felt their condition was not serious enough for them to attend accident and emergency.
"We have no doubt today's decision will reassure the many people who responded to our survey."
Ahead of announcing the walk-in centre would no longer be closed, the ICB had encouraged residents to attend drop-in sessions at King's Lynn Town Hall on Monday, The Forum in Norwich on Tuesday, Blyburgate Hall in Beccles on Wednesday and Lowestoft Community Hub on Thursday to share their views.
These have now been cancelled.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
NHS walk-in centre faces closure or a cut in hours
Walk-in centre firm had "inadequate management"
City walk-in health centre under closure threat
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NHS baby data loss 'likely intentional or malicious'
A police investigation has found that a missing data file containing the details of hundreds of maternity cases was most likely deleted "intentionally or maliciously". Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation into the temporary loss of a computer file at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust. The trust remains at the centre of the biggest review of maternity failings in NHS history, being led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. The force's cyber team has now concluded the deletion was "most likely to be the action of an individual" but the loss "was not caused or contributed to by any systemic corruption within NUH". In a letter to families involved in the review from Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin, which has been seen by the BBC, it said the deletion was "most likely to have been done intentionally/maliciously rather than accidentally". But the identity of the person responsible could not be determined, said police. The BBC understands the file contained maternity documents, including details of some baby deaths. The file was recovered a few days after its deletion was spotted by the trust and led to about 300 more cases being added to the maternity inquiry. Nearly 2,500 cases are being examined by the senior independent midwife Donna Ockenden. Nottinghamshire Police also confirmed last week a corporate manslaughter investigation was under way to determine whether maternity care provided by the trust had been grossly negligent. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Manslaughter case launched into Nottingham baby deaths Grieving families' concerns over NHS data loss The story behind the largest maternity review in the NHS Ockenden Maternity Review Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Nottinghamshire Police
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NHS trust to cut 430 jobs in bid to save £97m
Hundreds of job cuts will be made by an NHS trust in an effort to help save more than £97m in the next year. At least 430 jobs are set to go at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust as part of a major transformation plan announced on Tuesday. It comes as the trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, has announced a new plan to "transform services and improve patient care". NUH chief executive Anthony May said the trust "had a duty to the taxpayer to spend within [its] means". The majority of job losses would be in corporate and support services as the trust seeks to reduce its salary bill and the reliance on agency and other temporary staff. The plan to change services will feature the use of new technology and a focus on prevention and treating people in the community. This includes a new digital app for patients to manage appointments and view test results, improved outpatient services to cut waiting times, and an expansion of theatres to increase day case operations by 5,000 per year. Mr May said the trust wanted to "create hospitals designed for the 21st Century". He said: "We know that we cannot make these improvements without making savings and have had clear instructions from government on the reductions needed in support services across the NHS. "While we have already made significant savings, we know there is more to do in the next three years to meet our financial targets and to help us to meet the needs of our patients and staff. "This will result in us having to make some difficult decisions in the coming years, in particular reducing our staff numbers by at least 430 this financial year." The trust said about 100 roles that could go had already been identified through its Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme. Mr May said the trust wanted to avoid making compulsory redundancies but they could not be ruled out completely. He added: "I know this will be challenging, but our plan will ensure our services are fit for the modern world and we will provide the best environment for our staff to provide care to our patients. "We will do everything we can to avoid compulsory redundancies, by not replacing staff as they retire or leave for example, and we will do everything we can to protect clinical roles." The trust, which has an annual budget of £1.8bn, made £91.2m in savings last year but still overspent by £51.6m. Its current workforce amounts to the equivalent of 18,300 full-time staff, and employment costs make up 70% of the trust's annual budget. By Rob Sissons, health correspondent, BBC East Midlands The push to deliver efficiency savings is nothing new in the NHS but the modern day pressures makes the mission no easy task. Spend on agency and bank staff is being examined for savings but there are limits to how much this can be targeted as there is a need to maintain safe staffing levels and ensure that frontline clinical staff are not overburdened or suffer burn-out. Events can of course blow any savings plan off course and there are plenty of unknowns in the coming months. How bad will winter be is one of the big questions bosses ask every year and the inevitable strain that puts on health services can force up spending. Hospitals are planning for winter now in summer. Another cost pressure will be if doctors and nurses resume strikes over pay. The British Medical Association is currently balloting junior doctors - now called resident doctors - over whether they wish to take industrial action, with the result expected in July. The ambitious plan for new capital infrastructure in Nottingham including a new A&E and cancer treatment facilities has been put back to 2037, which leaves the trust having to deal with older facilities It is grappling with the biggest NHS building, maintenance and repair backlog of any trust outside London. That can lead to unexpected disruption. A recent inspection of an operating theatre roof recently revealed wiring problems that put it out of action, when there is pressure to use facilities as much as possible to bring down the waiting list backlog. The savings targets have been set - but delivering them was never going to be straightforward in the complex world of healthcare. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Manslaughter case launched into Nottingham baby deaths Hospital staff strike in dispute over back pay Trust provides update on delayed NHS centre Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Younger women could have cervical screening every five years instead of three
Younger women who test negative for the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer will be recalled for NHS screening every five years rather than three. The changes mean that, from next month, women aged 25 to 49 in England who are negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will receive screening invites every five years. The move has been recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and is based on analysis from King's College London showing five-yearly screening is just as safe as three-yearly, with the same number of cancers found. HPV is a sexually-transmitted group of viruses which cause no symptoms. Around 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7% of all cervical cancers. As at present, any woman who has HPV or has a recent history of HPV will continue to be invited to more frequent screenings to check the virus has cleared and, if not, to check for cell changes in the cervix. In a written statement to Parliament, health minister Ashley Dalton said the new change 'increases the opportunities to test and recall women and people with a cervix who have HPV, while extending the cervical screening intervals from three to five years in England for individuals who have a negative HPV test. 'This will bring England's cervical screening intervals in line with those of Wales and Scotland.' She said the NHS screening programme in England provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 'with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect HPV infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage'. She added: 'The aim of the programme is to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and reduce the number who die from it.' Ms Dalton said testing negative for HPV means the chances of developing cancer within five years are very small, as it can take around 10 years or more from the time HPV is detected to developing cervical cancer. She added: 'Those who test positive for HPV are already being followed up with yearly testing. 'This is important to ensure that individuals are monitored for any early signs of cervical abnormalities and provided the necessary treatment.' Experts have been concerned about falling numbers of women under 50 attending cervical screening, with around a third in England not taking up their invitations. Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing women appointments that they don't need. 'The NHS is following robust evidence on how often women need to be safely screened, and by putting invitations and reminders straight in women's pockets on their phones, we're making it easier than ever to take up screening appointments. 'Make sure you come forward for your screening when you're invited, even if it was weeks, months or years ago. If you think you are due but have not yet had an invitation, speak to your GP practice.' Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'We welcome this change to cervical screening in England, which is the result of years of vital research to make screening more effective and has shown it is safe to extend the time between tests. 'Screening, alongside the roll out of the HPV vaccine – which Cancer Research UK scientists helped develop – have seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s, and we look forward to even more progress. 'If you notice any unusual changes for you, do not wait for a screening invitation – speak to your doctor.' Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, said: 'We want every eligible person to feel empowered to attend a vaccination and cervical screening appointment when they are invited so we can achieve the brilliant ambition of eliminating cervical cancer.'
