An MP has urged the local health service not to close the only walk-in medical centre in Merton, ahead of a public meeting into the plans.

The GP surgery at the Wilson Health Centre in Cranmner Road, Mitcham, is due to close on March 31, when Concordia Health Limited finish their contract with NHS England.

January 6: Wilson Health Centre only medical practice with walk-in services in Merton will close in March

The Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has said the Wilson site will be “developed into a state-of-the-art health and wellbeing facility” and that it is committed to providing high quality medical care around the borough.

However, MP for Mitcham and Morden, Siobhain McDonagh, has condemned the plans and called on the CCG to call off or delay the closure.

Ms McDonagh said: “It’s a big surgery. There are 6,000 people who are going to have to find a new place to go. About 5,000 of those are from Mitcham and Morden.

“That’s a lot of people to disperse to other surgeries. A lot of people are very worried about this.

Wimbledon Times:

Siobhain McDonagh MP is against the closure

“There’s no evidence that there are too many GP surgeries in Mitcham. It’s the 21st century, at the very least people should expect the CCG to explain its decision to close the only walk-in centre for the entire borough.

“Ultimately, we would love them not to do it. The best thing that could happen is that they don’t close the walk-in.

“I understand that might not be realistic, but they should delay it and reassess their decision, or delay it until we have another location for a walk-in centre.”

A spokeswoman for Merton CCG said: “Unfortunately, the Wilson walk-in centre does not meet the latest commissioning standards for integrated urgent care. In addition, planning permission for the temporary accommodation housing the walk-in centre on the Wilson site has expired.

“Merton CCG has been working on plans to provide enhanced GP access differently from alternative sites since the Wilson site is due to be developed into a state-of-the-art health and wellbeing facility.

“The CCG is committed to providing everyone in Merton with better access to high quality GP services for both urgent and non-urgent issues.

“We know that there is a challenge in east Merton for some patients in getting through on the phone to their GP and in getting a GP appointment when they want one. This is a major reason why people choose to attend the Wilson walk-in centre.

“In response to this we will be investing resource in ensuring that all GP practices have a development plan to improve access for their patients.”

The spokeswoman added that Merton CCG are developing proposals for “enhanced access” to appointments in existing GP practices as well as two GP access hubs in the east and west of the borough, for use by patients who cannot get an appointment at their registered surgery.

She also refuted claims that the closure will place added pressure on A&E departments at St George’s Hospital and St Helier Hospital, saying: “Merton CCG has conducted an in-depth analysis of patients who attend the walk-in centre. The reasons people visited the centre shows there is a high volume of people presented with coughs, colds, sore throats, flu like symptoms, ear pain and fever.

“These are not the sort of conditions which would be dealt with by an A&E department.”

However, Ms McDonagh described this as “extraordinarily overly optimistic”.

She said: “Lots of people take their children or elderly relatives to the walk-in centre.

"No matter what it is, if you’re worried about a child or a grandparent, you don't want to take any risk.”

The public meeting into the closure will be held at the Wilson Health Centre at 7pm on Tuesday, January 31.

What do you think? Email letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk