CHANGES at Weymouth Community Hospital are set to deliver a ‘better service’ for patients, bosses have said.

The Melcombe Avenue facility has a GP-led walk-in centre, a GP surgery, a minor injury unit and various clinics, including those for drug and alcohol dependency.

But the contract runs out in June. Dr Karen Kirkham, Dorset CCG’s locality chair for Weymouth and Portland and a practising GP, moved to reassure patients that the facility will continue to host a service for urgent medical care that is not serious enough to need treatment at the Accident and Emergency department at Dorset County Hospital.

The future facility will also have a walk in centre for those unable to get an appointment at their own GP surgery and there will be room for clinics and an emphasis on helping homeless and vulnerable people.

The walk in centre will have GPs and senior staff, but is expected to be led by medical and nursing staff as at present.

But no decision has yet been made about the GP surgery, where 400 people are registered.

NHS England is still consulting with patients on any potential changes.

Dr Kirkham said: “Local GPs will still be looking after these patients, but the decision has not been made as to where that will be.

“I would like to reassure people. There are a lot of excellent GPs in the local area and there is enough time to make sure that care is transferred safely and appropriately.

“Patients will be given guidance and help if care has to be transferred.”

The walk in centre was opened in 2009 as a Darzi Centre and the original contract was for five years. This was extended once and cannot legally be extended again.

Dr Kirkham added that the changes are being driven by the fact that the contract is expiring in June, and has nothing to do with funding sources.

The GP surgery is currently run by The Practice Group, which confirmed the contract is currently out to tender.

Dr Kirkham said: “This is an opportunity to look at the design of the system to see if it fits patients’ needs.

“We have done 18 months to two years of consultation with patients, GPs and staff. We are very optimistic about these changes.

“We have looked at patients’ needs and come up with something we think is better.”

She added: “There will still be a drug and alcohol service there and with respect to the work that is done there with homeless and vulnerable people, we have worked hard to retain that funding to make sure there is a facility going forward.”