An NHS walk-in service will close despite the fact that almost 70 per cent of the residents consulted opposed the move.

The service at Broad Street Centre, in Broad Street, Dagenham is set to shut in March next year, the Barking and Dagenham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has announced.

But the CCG said it would make 25,000 extra urgent appointments available from August to make it easier for patients to get appointments with their GPs.

A public consultation held earlier this year showed almost 70 per cent of those asked were against the Broad Street service closing, while the same number said they could not get an appointment with their GP quickly enough.

However the group, which is made up of GPs who took over the charge of the local NHS budget in March, say an independent review of walk-in centres showed that a third of their patients needed no treatment at all and many “were simply seeking a second opinion”.

Some, it added, used the walk-in service because they didn’t know where else to go.

The practice will remain open and other services currently offered at the centre will not be affected.

Barking and Dagenham CCG Chair, Dr Waseem Mohi, said the group agreed with residents who felt frustrated about the time it took to get an appointment with their GP.

“That’s why we are pressing on with plans to expand access to GPs and improve the way that local NHS services work together to support our patients,” he added.

“We have several months before the walk-in centre closes so we have time to see how these new measures are working for both patients and GPs.”

The walk-in centre at Barking Community Hospital in Upney Lane will stay open, with minor ailment and injury services and X-ray facilities.

How do you feel about the closure of the Broad Street walk-in service? Call the Post on 020 8477 3893 or email postnewsdesk@archant.co.uk.