Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham pledged that he would keep an NHS walk-in centre in Cricklewood open if he is in government after May’s General Election.
During a visit to meet patients at the Cricklewood GP walk-in centre in Cricklewood Lane, along with Labour candidate Sarah Sackman, Mr Burnham said: “You have my guarantee that under a Labour Government the NHS Walk-in centre will stay open. It cannot make any sense to close walk-in centres in the middle of an A&E crisis.”
The four-year contract to keep the walk-in facility at the clinic running has been extended to December this year, but a decision on its long term future has not yet been finalised.
Ms Sackman, who is standing for election in Finchley and Golders Green, said: “The GPs and the Walk-In centre have filled a gap in primary health care for this area since they opened four years ago.”
However Mike Freer, Conservative candidate for Finchley and Golders Green, accused Labour of scaremongering.
He said:
“It’s not going to close and it’s misleading to say it is. The CCG have told me that they need to sit down with residents before they renew the contract.”
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