Under-review NHS walk-in centre has seen an 18% drop in patients, meeting hears
The centre has been placed under review
The number of people attending Wakefield city centre’s NHS walk-in centre has dropped by around 18% over the past six years, a meeting heard.
Details of the reduction in patient treatment were revealed as councillors and health chiefs discussed the future of the service, which has been placed under review.
A report said the study was taking place because the service “no longer reflects how people choose to access care.”
According to the document, more people are choosing same-day help through their GP or local pharmacy while fewer people have been attending the walk-in centre.
Members of Wakefield Council’s adult services and health scrutiny committee heard the number of patients treated at the facility on King Street during the 2019/2020 financial year was around 37,000, compared toaround 29,700 during 2025/26.
Mel Brown, director of system reform and integration Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership (WDHCP), said: “That’s about an 18% reduction, but our demand for other health services across Wakefield has increased.
“We have got to think through what is the right model in terms of making it fit for the future moving forward.
“There will be some challenges that we need to think through in terms of where is the service located.
“We are going to find it very challenging to find capital to develop a new build for the walk-in service, so looking at existing buildings will be part of our review.”
A public consultation could be held once a “range of options” for the future of the facility have been determined and referred to NHS England.
Ms Brown said a campaign to promote the use of the service was also planned as there were concerns fewer people were using it due to construction work being carried out on the building.In November 2024, the local authority approved proposals to build 23 apartments on the upper floors of the property.
Ms Brown added: “This isn’t the first time the committee have considered the walk-in service.
“We have had conversations in the past about the location.“One of the things we need to do as a health service is look at the demand and the usage of the walk-in service.
“Just to be open, the service has been in place since 2009 but the actual model hasn’t changed much in 20 years in terms of how we deliver it.
“But what has changed is the volume of people that have been accessing the service.”
A survey involving almost 400 patients and members of the public was carried out earlier this year as part of the review process.
Key findings from the engagement revealed that the most common reasons for people attending the centre were due to infections, sore throats, high temperatures, rashes, stomach pains, minor injuries and pain.
Joe Hazell, a senior leader for the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), said “Since the service opened, the wider range of care available through general practice and the community has also changed.
“We have had the introduction of NHS 111 over the last ten years and also very recently pharmacy first pathways, which people have been using to treat minor illness.
“When you add all that activity up over the last six to seven years, we have seen an increase of about 17%.”
A WDHCP briefing document said the contract for the King Street service had been extended to October 2027 and could be extended for a further 12 months.
Mr Hazell added: “I just want to be really clear and reassure people that the service is still there, particularly as we go into winter. We will start to see winter pressures building soon.
“This is something we want to signpost people to.”