Councillors welcome decision to extend lease of closure-threatened NHS walk-in centre in Wakefield

Health chiefs have confirmed the lease for the facility on King Street, Wakefield, has been extended.

More than 2,000 people signed an online petition calling for the centre to be saved when it was placed under review last year.

Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood made the issue a key focus at his by-election campaign in 2022, saying it could lead to a “healthcare black hole”.

The service is commissioned by Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership and delivered by Local Care Direct.

Following the outcry, the partnership agreed to find alternative premises to ensure the service maintained a city-centre presence.

In a “stakeholder update” issued on Wednesday (November 29), it confirmed a new three-year lease has been secured.

It says: “Work had been taking place to find suitable alternative city centre premises for the service.

“However, Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership has been unable to secure funds for a move.”

A meeting heard on Thursday (November 30) that Wakefield Council’s headquarters building at Wakefield One, on Burton Street, had been considered a possible new location for the centre.

Betty Rhodes, chair of the council’s NHS scrutiny committee, said: “Work has been going on to look for suitable alternative premises.

“It’s good news that the NHS, who have the lease, have agreed to extend it for another three years.”

The centre offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment of urgent, non-life threatening illnesses and minor injuries.

It is open daily between 10am and 10pm.

The facility is open to anyone over the age of six months who needs same-day care.

Coun Rhodes added: “I’m pleased to say that we have a long list of services that the walk-in centre will be providing.

“We will still keep an eye on that provision.

“As we now, at times, it is very difficult getting to see the right professional, even your own GP.

“A lot of the people who turn up at the walk-in service go to A&E.

“But this is something that we can work with over the next three years.”

Committee member Charlie Keith said: “We need to emphasise this service, because in the last six weeks I have paid two visits to A&E at Pinderfields.

“The absolute mayhem, that the staff do a fantastic job to work through, is now on a daily basis.

“Pinderfields (A&E department) was built to take on between 70 and 90 people and there were 130 people in there.

“It is becoming catastrophic.”