Walk in

Raymond Brazil

I gather people who can't afford private GPs are quite fond of it.

Bill Paddon

That seems ridiculous. We use walk-in clinics in Canada. Sometimes we pay at the clinic for services rendered. We usually sit in the waiting room for hours for the service. Urgent requirements are treated as such with no waiting. Needing to make an appointment would change the whole complexion of the service. CALL YOUR GOVERMENT REPRESENTATIVE OR GORDON HIMSELF TO COMPLAIN.

Jeremy Jacobs

I take your point Stephen but FMH is easy to get to, park and to see a human being. I went there at 9 one evening then had to get an X-Ray the following day at 3. I was out in an hour. Not brilliant but pretty good.

David

Stephen, I think you're being a little unfair here. We took our 2 year old daughter to FMH after she dislocated her elbow. She was seen within minutes and had the joint pushed back in by a very competent nurse practitioner. We returned the following morning at 9am for an x-ray, which was reviewed within the hour by a doctor. It was far better than taking her to an overcrowded A&E dept.

Jennie

It would appear that walk-in clinics deal with patients who need prompt attention without an appointment. But that routine cases, such as having a bandage replaced, require an appointment. Sounds reasonable to me - though the clinics should make this policy clear.

szeni

I don't understand why Stephen doesn't get a private health cover if he can afford eating out at expensive restaurants

Barnet Primary Care Trust

Following the daily blog of Stephen Pollard titled ‘Walk in’ on Sunday 17 February 2008; Barnet Primary Care Trust (PCT) would like to respond to the comments made regarding the service delivered at Finchley Memorial Hospital Walk-in Clinic. All patients who are seen in the Walk in Clinic for the first time are required to be assessed by a qualified Doctor or Nurse Practitioner. This includes patients who may have had a wound attended to by a different healthcare provider. A patient who is identified on their first attendance (by the Doctor or Nurse practitioner) as requiring wound care follow up treatment will be given an appointment to return at a later time to have their wound attended to by a Support Nurse. Hence when a patient arrives requesting a redressing, the first thing the receptionist will ask is if s/he has an appointment. Patients who are requesting a redressing in the Walk in Centre for the first time is treated the same as any other walk-in patient. That is to say, they wait in the queue to see a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner who will formulate a treatment plan and arrange follow up (by appointment) if this is required. Barnet PCT will never refuse to see patients requesting a redressing. The Walk-in Clinics are in place to improve access to healthcare services for patients. The aim is to provide efficient and effective treatments for minor injuries, which on this occasion Barnet PCT believes it did deliver. I hope this helps to clarify the matter and reassures readers of the processes Barnet PCT has in place in order to deliver a good quality of care.