Please sign our petition demanding a halt to the process of closing the Bath Riverside NHS Walk-in Centre, until important concerns have been fully addressed.

The BANES Clinical Commissioning Group has announced that the Riverside NHS Walk-in Centre will close. They say that an alternative service will be available at the Bath Royal United Hospital. These changes are being introduced primarily to save money but how much money has not been made clear. We are asking for full disclosure of the financial implications.

We are also concerned that alternative arrangements for patient access to urgent care has not been properly thought through. The CCG are expecting GP's to increase their urgent service cover by remaining open all day and increasing urgent home visits. The CCG do not have the power to insist that this happens.

In addition they have not explained how vulnerable people who are not registered with a BANES GP, such as visitors, people who work in Bath, and the homeless will access urgent medical services without travelling out to the RUH which they may not be in a position to do. Also, many poorer families living in other areas of Bath may find it impossible to afford the bus fare to travel to the RUH, and some of the elderly, disabled and frail may find bus travel too difficult.

We understand that up to 100 consultations a day are carried out at the Centre, and the CCG themselves say that demand is increasing. How can it make sense to close such a valued and popular NHS service?

Please sign our petition to request a halt to the whole process until the people of Bath can be satisfied that all of these issues are adequately addressed.

Thank you

Bath Constituency Labour Party Action Team