On Saturday, popular local Councillors Robert Alden and Bob Beauchamp supported the Save our Walk in Centre Protest on Erdington High Street. Robert and Bob are pictured above holding the Erdington Conservatives banner in support of the Walk in Centre.
Erdington Walk in Centre is currently part of a review of all walk in centres across the Birmingham and Solihull area, being carried out by the Birmingham and Solihull NHS cluster and the Clinical commissioning group. The Walk in Centre is open from 8am till 8pm 7 days a week providing local residents with a valuable urgent care service
Cllr Robert Alden, who has been working closely with the patient user group, said "there was an excellent turnout from local residents at the protest. People are concerned that the local NHS board are reviewing the urgent care facilities in the Birmingham area and they want assurances that the Walk in Centres will be preserved. So far we have been given some assurances that they do not want to see the Walk in Centres close, however until this is confirmed we will be continuing to keep the pressure up and put forward the case for there retention. What is important is that people don't try and fudge the issue. The Patient User Group have made it clear on their literature that it is a local decision, not something being done nationally or by the Government. The Local NHS have made it clear their review is not to do with saving money as their budget has not been cut. Working together the Erdington Community is successfully making the case for their retention. What we don't need now is people from the outside trying to claim this is about NHS reforms national. The two issues are different and anyone muddling them together could be risking the efforts to save the local Walk in Centres".
Cllr Bob Beauchamp said "we were delighted to be able to help support the local protest. Our priority is to see the Erdington and Kingstanding Walk in Centres saved and hopefully, the Erdington community will by having come together be able to deliver this".
Following the protest Robert and Bob collected signatures towards saving the Walk in Centre.