A new friends group has been established for an at-risk NHS walk-in centre in Norwich.

A question mark was raised over the future of Timber Hill Health Centre after plans were submitted for a new restaurant quarter on level four of the Castle Mall and Norwich Practices Ltd rejected an offer to relocate to level two of the shopping centre because of refit costs.

While negotiations continue over the future location of a walk-in centre in Norwich, Clive Lewis, prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich South, has launched the Friends of Timber Hill group to maintain pressure on the government and NHS England to ensure funding is in place to protect the service beyond 2016.

Mr Lewis said: 'Whatever the outcome of NHS England's deliberations on the immediate fate of Timber Hill, the fact remains that after 2016, the future of a city walk in centre is up in the air. The current coalition government's piecemeal privatisation and real terms cuts to the NHS means it could soon join the one in four walk-in clinics that have closed.

'Our campaign is to ensure that doesn't happen and that a service that caters to so many and is highly cost effective, remains where it is - in the city.'

The group can be found at www.facebook.com/saveourwalkincentre