UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Media release
The walk-in centre experience

A conference looking at the impact of NHS walk-in centres takes place in Bristol tomorrow [Thursday, September 26].

The conference is hosted by Bristol University, which led the recent national evaluation of walk-in centres.

Many professionals involved in or affected by walk-in centres and academics studying this new development will assemble for the one-day event.

The conference, chaired by Debbie Sharp, Professor and Head of the Division of Primary Health Care at Bristol University, will discuss the experience of current walk-in centres and review and evaluate future developments.

The conference will focus on five key areas:

access;
quality;
appropriateness;
effect on other NHS services;
efficiency.

Dr Chris Salisbury, Reader in Primary Health Care at the University, who led the evaluation, said: ' Overall it appears that walk-in centres offer a convenient service of high quality, but at additional cost.

'The conference will enable decision-makers in Primary Care Trusts, hospital trusts and Health Authorities, health professionals and academics to come together to discuss the evaluation and compare NHS walk-in centres with other ways of increasing the accessibility of primary health care.'

Forty-three NHS walk-in centres have been established in England since January 2000. These nurse-led centres provide convenient 'drop-in' advice and treatment about health problems, as part of the government's commitment to modernise the NHS.

The final report on the National Evaluation of NHS walk-in centres was published on 4 July 2002.

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Email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
Copyright: 2002 The University of Bristol, UK
Updated: Thursday, 26-Sep-2002 17:36:44 BST