DOCTORS at a walk-in health centre in Worcester say the number of patients through the doors has doubled since it opened but they want to see more people using it.

There were 188 consultations in the week Worcester Walk-In Health Centre in Farrier Street opened on Wednesday, August 12, compared with 354 for the week ending Sunday, October 4.

Surveys conducted of existing patients show people learned about the centre mainly through articles in newspapers, including your Worcester News, but also through advertising and word of mouth.

The centre is already seeing about 50 patients a day, the number Elgar Healthcare is contracted to see by NHS Worcestershire.

But centre leaders want to increase this to 70 a day, which they say will not only help to extend care to more patients but provide better value for money as well.

Dr Thompson said: “We want to see more patients and we have a system in place to see more patients, over and above our existing contract. I think sometimes people perceive the centre as just a walk-in centre. But people can use us as their GP surgery as well.”

The centre sees walk-in patients, who do not have to live in the city, and also registers patients within the city boundaries and Fernhill Heath in the same way as a standard GP surgery.

The area for registration has to be restricted so GPs can carry out home visits, which would be impractical in the cases of patients who work in Worcester but live in towns such as Droitwich, Redditch and Kidderminster (although people from those areas can still use the centre as walk-in patients).

There are now 191 patients registered at the centre but doctors hope this can be increased to 1,200 by the end of the year and 6,000 by the time its five-year contract with NHS Worcestershire ends.

Doctors also want to make people who work in Worcester more aware that they can come in before work, which at the moment is a quieter time for the centre staff.

John Clarke, the centre manager, said he is keen to persuade more patients through the doors for early morning appointments at 8am, when the centre opens.

Although the centre has similarities with existing GP surgeries, it does offer unique services, including access to general practice mental health services within 24 hours of seeing a GP.

There are three mental health practitioners who provide emotional support and advice once a patient has been seen by one of the doctors. Some of the people with psychological health problems who would benefit from this counselling service are in the 18-25 age group, the typical age range of many students.

The Walk-in Health Centre has already forged links with the University of Worcester – the new city centre campus on the site of the old Worcester Royal Infirmay will be close to the centre in Farrier Street.

Dr Thompson says the service is available for people who are suffering from stress, depression and anxiety or who are undergoing personal problems such as money worries and the breakdown of marriages or relationships.

Dr Thompson said mental health problems were very important and that this unique service was not offered by many GPs in the area.

Some have even christened mental health care as a ‘Cinderella service’, believing it does not enjoy the same status as other health problems.

Dr Thompson said: “Mental health often doesn’t receive the same prominence as other conditions and is often not as well-funded within the health service. During difficult economic times, mental health problems are more common and we are keen to see good provision for these.”

Unlike many normal GP practices, a GP is available at the centre 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, as part of the Government’s drive to improve access to medical care.

Dr Thompson said the flexibility of the service was reflected in patient surveys which they are obliged to carry out as part of their contract and so far show 100 per cent satisfaction.

The surveys, carried out after a patient has seen one of six GPs at the centre, asks them to report their views on issues such as waiting times and the general standard of treatment received.

The centre also has four nurses whom senior managers at the centre hope will be able to do work in the community, bringing the services to patients themselves.

They can perform blood pressure checks and perform diabetic screening which could help in the areas of Worcester where there is a south Asian population which is particularly prone to the disease and to heart problems.

Leaders from Elgar Healthcare are also looking at ways to keep in better touch with their patients via their website where people can book appointments on line, a Facebook page and via text messages. For more details, see elgarhealthcare.co.uk.