Health bosses rule out keeping walk-in clinic in Great Yarmouth

The Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group holding a public meeting about the closure of the Greyfriars Health Centre in Great Yarmouth. (l to r) Andy Evans, Chief Executive with John Stammers, Chair and Clinical Lead taking questions at the meeting.Picture: James Bass (Image: Archant Norfolk © 2016)

The Greyfriars building will however remain open but only on weekends and bank holidays, and with a reduced appointment-only service.

Health bosses reconsidered plans to completely close the £8million facility which opened in 2009 after an outcry from the public.

The decision was made in May and campaigners launched a petition which gained thousands of signatures.

NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is pledging to continue using the Greyfriars building in Howard Street South and develop it into the hub for NHS services.

Protest against the closure of Greyfriars Medical centre, Yarmouth.Tony Crone, Alison Keating and Christina Horne (black top) with petitions against the closure.

The walk-in clinic will not return, and there will still be no primary care provided at the facility on weekdays.

Instead patients will be referred to an enhanced NHS 111 phone service, or the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston.

The new plan is to provide an appointment-only clinic at Greyfriars which will open twice a day at weekends and on bank holidays for people who have contacted 111 and need to see a GP.

At a meeting on Thursday in Beccles, the CCG's governing body will be asked to approve the recommendations.

The current contract for the GP and walk-in service at Greyfriars comes to an end in September.

Patients registered with Greyfriars GP surgery will receive a letter confirming their new GP practice during August.