Have your say on Lemington's health services

12.10.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jun 2008

Lemington residents are being urged to have their say on the future of health services locally.

A drop-in session is being held at the Lemington Centre on Wednesday June 11 for local people.

The sessions are part of the three-month consultation across Newcastle on the development of a new health centre and a further two new GP practices in the city.

The consultation is taking place between 10am and 2pm at the Lemington Centre.

Lib Dem councillor Liz Langfield says: "More than 1,000 people have already signed the petition to bring a GPs surgery to Lemington.

"There is a clear need for a surgery in Lemington as local people have to get a bus, a taxi or their car to get to the nearest practice.

"We hope that as many local people as possible will attend the drop-in session and let health bosses know how important it is that a new GP surgery is set up in Lemington."

NHS North of Tyne is seeking views of local people to where these new developments should be sited and what services should be included in the health centre.

The health centre will include GP services providing bookable and walk-in appointments, available from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

It will include a range of other health care services such as x-ray, ultrasound, echocardiography and specialist services, for example, musculoskeletal for muscle and bone problems and skin clinics.

It may also be possible to develop other services alongside the health centre, for example a community pharmacy.

The two additional new GP practices in Newcastle will provide the usual range of GP services but could also focus on other services such as childhood obesity, teenage pregnancy, alcohol and substance misuse and mental health services.

The developments follow an announcement by the Department of Health to boost capacity in primary care services.

This was following the initial findings of a major review of the NHS by Lord Darzi.

In Newcastle the areas under consideration for the new health centre and new GP practices are Cowgate/Blakelaw, Byker/Walker, Great Park, Elswick, Scotswood/Benwell and Lemington.

The other drop in sessions are being held on:

June 12

Scotswood and Benwell

St Margaret's Church

Heighley Street

Scotswood

10.30am to 2.30pm

June 19

Scotswood and Benwell

Benwell Library - Riverside Community Health Project (Library Basement)

Atkinson Road

Benwell

10am to 3pm

(library closes for lunch 12.30pm to 1.30pm)

June 23

Elswick

Cruddas Park Shopping Centre

Westmoreland Road

Elswick

10am to 2pm

June 28

Byker and Walker

Thomas Gaughan Community Centre

Yelverton Crescent

Pottery Bank

Walker

10am to 2pm

July 1

Cowgate and Blakelaw

Blakelaw Neighbourhood Centre

Binswood Avenue

Blakelaw

10am to 2pm

:: The drop in sessions are organised by charity Community Action on Health.