| NHS walk-in clinics are to be placed in train stations to enable commuters to see GPs on their way to work. Seven new centres are being set up in or around train and Tube stations in London, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds at a cost of £25m by next spring. Some 57 NHS walk-in centres are already open in high streets across the country but the only medical centres in train stations are private at the moment. Doctors' groups have expressed concern about the services they will offer. The centres will be open from 7am to 7pm and while they will be predominantly staffed by nurses, GPs will be on hand during the busiest periods. Patients will not need an appointment to be seen. It is estimated that more than 30,000 patients a year will be treated in the centres, with more sites possible in other cities if the clinics are a success. |