Changes for patients at Middleton Health Centre

NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale logo

Changes at Middleton Health Centre are due to take place which are designed to improve access to the walk in service for local patients who are registered with a GP.

Since opening almost a year ago the health centre has seen more than 24,000 people use the walk in service which has been almost double the amount that had been estimated. A contract review by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale has found that the reason for this significant level of activity is, in part, due to the service being used by patients from outside of the borough. This has meant that local patients risk being turned away at the busiest times.

This review has led to the introduction of the following changes from 15 November 2010:

• Only patients registered with a GP in the Rochdale borough will be able to use the walk in service at the Middleton Health Centre.
• A ‘patient selected triage scheme’ will be put in place at the reception to direct each patient to the most appropriate health service, which could be a GP, a nurse or may be a nearby pharmacy.

Lesley Mort, Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning from NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale said: “The unrestricted access to the walk in service at the Middleton Health Centre has been very popular since day one of opening, but this is now not a sustainable position and we cannot continue to offer the service for patients from outside of the borough. From 15th November 2010, these changes will concentrate on providing a good quality service for local patients and we will continue to monitor the changes with Hope Citadel, who provide the service at the health centre.”

Patients wishing to register onto the list at the Health Centre, which is located on the 1st floor of the Middleton Arndale, are still welcome to do so.