Five GP services hubs rolled out across Wirral

Five new hubs have been set up across the borough for patients who need essential face-to-face care and are unable to be seen by their registered GP practice.

The five ‘Additional Capacity Hubs’ include one at the Oval Leisure Centre in Bebington, which is otherwise closed to the public during the current lockdown.

However, the GP Care Hubs and Home Visiting Service can only be accessed after being referred there by the patient’s own GP practice. The GP hubs will not be offering testing for COVID-19.

Banners are up at the Oval in Bebington

The hubs, set up by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), will also provide a Home Visiting service component for those patients who are deemed as ‘housebound’ and whose own GP Practice is unable to visit them.

Wirral Council director of adult social care, Graham Hodkinson, said: “At the moment all Wirral’s GP practices are operational and able to help their patients, but this may not be the case in future weeks as more people are affected by COVID-19.

“It is essential therefore that we act now to put in place the capacity to ensure we can help those who need it.

“People should not go direct to the hubs but contact their own GP by telephone or online.

“This is another example of Wirral Council working closely with our partners across the whole health and care sectors and leading the way, doing everything in our power to support others working on the frontline in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.”

The hubs are staffed by GPs and nurses located in temporary units.

The hubs are now operational and other hubs are at NHS sites in Wirral at:

o Field Road Health Centre

o Victoria Central Primary Care Centre

o Birkenhead Medical Building

o West Wirral Group Practice (The Warrens)

The Additioanl Capacity Hubs will initially be operational daytimes, Monday-Friday and this will be kept under review.