Local GPs to run revolutionary health centre (From Worcester News)

Local GPs to run revolutionary health centre

11:20am Tuesday 23rd December 2008 in Search By David Paine, @davidpaineWN #worcsnews

A COMPANY founded by local GPs is to manage and run a new revolutionary walk-in health centre in the heart of Worcester.

Following a rigorous selection process Elgar Healthcare Limited beat off competition from other potential providers to run the GP-led health centre at Farrier House in Farrier Street.

The centre which will allow anybody to walk in off the street and receive GP services there and then, without the need for an appointment, between 8am and 8pm every day of the week, is due to open by July.

As well as providing all of the usual general practice services, there will be a focus on bringing health and wellbeing to people with busy, active lives who cannot necessarily always find time to attend their own GP practice.

Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is now working with the Elgar Healthcare to develop new ways of providing healthcare services across the county, which could include nurses going out to community centres.

Dr Adam Thompson, who is director of Elgar Healthcare, said: “My co-director Dr Charlie Harris and I are delighted that the PCT has given us the opportunity to work with them to deliver this new service for Worcestershire.

“Our company is founded from south Worcestershire GPs all keen to build upon the high quality general practice already delivered in Worcestershire, who see this as an exciting new way to complement existing services.

“We aim to work closely with the PCT to utilise this centre to help improve the health outcomes of those in our community who access health services poorly, to assist in delivering healthcare to an expanding University population, while at the same time improving access for all of our population to general practice services.”

Worcestershire PCT chief executive Paul Bates said: “This is a very exciting development which is part of our overall strategy to improve the public’s access to primary care services. Our other major initiative is to encourage GP practices to provide extended hours and many local practices are now submitting proposals to do so.

“We will be working very closely with Elgar Healthcare to make sure that our first GP-led health centre is a major success and responds properly to the public’s wishes for more convenient services, including the ability to drop in without an appointment.”