The controversial closure of Swindon’s NHS walk-in centre in Islington Street was a success, according to a report to be presented to councillors.

Members of Swindon Borough Council’s adults’ health, care and housing overview and scrutiny committee, which includes health professionals and patients’ advocates as well as councillors, will receive a report on the closure earlier this year.

The centre in Islington Street was due to shut on March 31, but that was brought forward by a week because of the coronavirus lockdown, and the walk-in service was withdrawn at 2pm on March 22.

The report, by Shaun Dix of the Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, says: “Bringing the closure date forward meant the highly-skilled staff at the centre were able to support colleagues who were providing a critical service at the Urgent Care Centre at the Great Western Hospital.

“A permanent needle exchange point was set up at an alternate location within the Swindon NHS Health Centre, while a dedicated phlebotomy clinic, which had previously been running from the centre, became a mobile operation as part of the Covid response, with staff visiting patients in their own home.

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The report concludes: “The walk-in centre’s withdrawal did not impact on any of the other services based in the Swindon NHS Health Centre, such as the pharmacy, sexual health clinic and emergency dentist, all of which have continued to run as normal.”

The walk-in service opened in June 2017, and was open for slightly less than three years.

The meeting starts at 6pm on Thursday November 5. A weblink on the agenda page on Swindon.gov.uk will be activated for members of the public to watch the proceedings.