Tower Hamlets Walk-in Centres are changing from 1 August 2018

We are making changes to services at the St Andrews Health Centre and The Barkantine Walk-in Centres.

From 1st August 2018, the St Andrews Health Centre and The Barkantine no longer offer 'walk-in centre' services. Instead, their service offers bookable appointment slots, available by calling NHS 111 or your GP practice, if you are registered in Tower Hamlets. This change will mean people can be seen more quickly by a GP or nurse and avoid long waiting times.

To use the service, residents must be registered with a Tower Hamlets GP surgery. If you live in in Tower Hamlets and you are not registered with a practice, we encourage you to do so to receive the full benefits of the NHS.

Does this mean the services at the St Andrews Health Centre and The Barkantine are closing?

No. The services are definitely not closing. The number of GP and nurse appointments or opening hours will not be reduced. There will be no changes to the GP services for registered patients at either practice.

Why are we making these changes?

• Residents have told us that accessing urgent care services is confusing and they find it difficult to find their way to the right help when they need it.
• There are too many services in Tower Hamlets with different opening hours and different ways to get them – we need to provide simpler, faster ways to access urgent and out-of-hours care and advice.
• This change helps make sure that local people get the right advice and treatment, first time.
• The new NHS 111 service for north east London launched on 1 August 2018 and provides 24/7 access to advice and treatment recommendations from a range of multi-professional clinicians. Calling 111 gives local people access to urgent care advice or treatment outside of normal GP practice opening hours.
• The changes we are making to the walk-in service will reduce pressure on the urgent and emergency services.

How are people going to find out about these changes?

GP practices in Tower Hamlets will offer information in the form of posters, leaflets and flyers, usually available in the reception area. These can also be downloaded below if you are interested in the detail. 

I don't have a GP; how do I get one?

You can register with a GP by going online www.nhs.uk and entering your postcode. You will find lots of useful information and advice on a range of common conditions and illnesses. You can access NHS 111 for free - this service provides 24/7 access to advice and treatment recommendations from a range of multi-professional clinicians.

I have questions about these changes. Who can I contact?

If you would like more information on the changes, please email thccg.info@nhs.net