Fears that the future of a walk-in centre at a major Wirral hospital could be at risk, have been dismissed by the region’s clinical commissioning group.

Margaret Greenwood, Labour candidate for Wirral West, claimed that a question mark had been raised over the centre in a proposed Wirral-wide review of care services along with walk-in centres and all day health centres at Arrowe Park.

She said her concerns were based on a letter from Dr Abhi Mantgani, chief clinical officer of Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group, to Wirral South MP Alison McGovern that stated the future model would “need to demonstrate equity of access, high quality care and value for money."

Ms Greenwood, who recently visited Arrowe Park with Labour shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, said: “All sites will be evaluated over the coming year as part of a Wirral-wide review.

"I am very concerned that this implies that the walk-in centre at Arrowe Park is at risk. I have met patients and staff and I have seen what a great service this is.

“People want to be able to access health care in the evenings and at weekends and the all-day health centre at Arrowe Park Hospital provides that.”

Dr Mantgani said his letter had been specifically in response to a query about providing information on new minor injuries services/walk-in centres being offered directly from GP practices.

It had made no mention that the all day health centre at Arrowe Park was specifically “at risk.”

He observed: “The current activity of the walk-in centre at Arrowe Park would indicate the need for its continued existence as an alternative service to A&E for minor problems.

“Wirral CCG has repeatedly indicated that none of the services that are being utilised by patients are at risk and the purpose of the review is to ensure all such services work to the same specification and are funded based on activity.”

Dr Mantgani continued: “The purpose of the evaluation is not to reduce the number of drop-in services but to ensure that all such services are funded on an equitable basis.

“Wirral CCG is committed to increasing the number of locations from where drop in services are delivered and improve access to all Wirral residents.

"This is part of a strategy to reduce demand on busy A&E departments with inappropriate minor problems that can be managed in other more appropriate centres such as walk-in centres and general practice-based minor injury illness services.”

He added: “Wirral CCG is committed to continuing to commission walk-in centres and drop-in minor injury/injury services from a number of locations in Wirral.

"We are committed to commissioning such services that will deliver equity of access, high quality care and value for money.”