Concerns over Dudley health centre closure plan
Councillors have voiced concerns after plans to close Dudley's walk-in health centre were announced as part of a shake-up of services.
Members of Dudley Council's health scrutiny committee today warned they may force officials to hold a full scale review into the scheme.
Officials from Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group addressed councillors at a meeting last night to discuss the ongoing consultation into the proposals. They are looking to shut the borough's walk-in centre based at Holly Hall Clinic, in Stourbridge Road, Dudley.
It has a £1.4 million contract with health care firm Primecare to run the clinic, which opened in 2009. But bosses say this cash may be better spent allowing people to see their own GPs.
Among the proposals being considered is an extension to the opening hours of practices where additional out-of-hours services would be available.
So far around 400 people have responded to the consultation which runs through until December 24. But committee members expressed concerns that the consultation was not wide enough.
They also claim consultation events held mainly between 10am to 2pm are not convenient for people who have to go to work.
Speaking after the meeting, committee chairman Councillor Sue Ridney said: "We are not extra pleased with the way that the consultation is going but at least there are still quite a few weeks for people to get their views across.
"There was an expression from the committee that the consultation document was quite bias in the way that it was presented.
"As a scrutiny committee our concerns about GPs practices is around ensuring the quality of the out-of-hours service across the borough if the centre closes. That is why people use the walk-in centre at the moment. If we believe that what they are proposing is a variation in the service then will be ask for a full review."
A 12-week consultation began at the beginning of October and a number of consultation events are being held around the borough.
Drop-in sessions are being held at Halesowen Library on November 15 from 12pm-2pm, at Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre on November 28, 12pm-2pm and at Dudley Council Plus, December 12, 12pm-2pm. Bosses will also host two live webchats to answer questions from patients.
