Railway stations to get GP clinics

About 30,000 patients a year will be treated in the centres

NHS walk-in clinics are to be placed in railway stations to enable commuters to see GPs on their way to work.

Seven new centres are being set up in or around railway and Tube stations in London, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds at a cost of £25m by next spring.

Some 57 NHS walk-in centres are already open in high streets across the country but the only medical centres in train stations are private at the moment.

Doctors' groups have expressed concern about the services they will offer.

The centres will be open from 7am to 7pm and while they will be predominantly staffed by nurses, GPs will be on hand during the busiest periods. Patients will not need an appointment to be seen.

They will offer treatment from physiotherapy to blood pressure checks as well as prescriptions.

Success

People with minor injuries will also be able to be seen.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 patients a year will be treated in the centres, with more sites possible in other cities if the clinics are a success.

Health Minister John Hutton said: "The new NHS walk-in centres will make it easier for commuters to fit seeing a GP or nurse around their daily lives.

The fact is walk-in centres are fine for minor cuts and scratches but for more serious conditions there is no substitute for seeing your GP Dr Mayur Lakhani, of the Royal College of GPs

"The 12-hour opening hours and convenient location are ideal for meeting the needs of today's patients.

"These centres will improve access to primary care for a proportion of society that has traditionally been poorly served."

A Mori poll of 800 commuters in October revealed almost two thirds would use a walk-in centre if they were feeling ill.

The first walk-in centres were introduced in 2000 and in total have treated 5m patients.

On top of the seven commuter clinics, another 25 other centres are also being developed.

Concern

Michael Summers, chairman of the Patients Association, added: "Providing these centres near to rail and London Underground stations will enable more patients to see a healthcare professional on the way to or from work, and avoid making appointments with their GP."

But the British Medical Association said it was concerned about the "fragmentation of patient care" as there was not yet a fully-functioning electronic record so different doctors could view a patient's medical history.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA's GPs committee, added: "They must not act as a drain on the resources intended for the everyday care of ordinary patients."

Dr Mayur Lakhani, chairman-elect of the Royal College of GPs, said the government appeared to be "confused".

"They say walk-in centres can provide the same range of services currently available from GP practices and yet, by their own admission, many of these centres will be nurse-led.

"The fact is walk-in centres are fine for minor cuts and scratches but for more serious conditions there is no substitute for seeing your GP."

And shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Walk-in centres should not replace GP out-of-hours services, which are a precious service to the community with evening and Saturday morning surgeries now a thing of the past."