The sites provide a wealth of information for patients and other interested groups. Sites have been launched for the Victoria NHS Walk in Centre, Newcastle Central NHS Walk in Centre and Broad Street NHS Walk in Centre.

Victoria - www.victoriawalkincentre.co.uk
Newcastle - www.newcastlecentralwalkincentre.co.uk
Broad Street - www.broadstreetwalkincentre.co.uk

NHS Walk-in Centres give fast access to health advice and treatment. They can be used by almost anyone on a drop-in basis.

The patient, who cannot be named, was on a month-long secondment for business in Newcastle when she discovered a lump in her breast.

She had a severe family history of breast cancer - her mother had had a double mastectomy and chemotherapy and other members of her family had suffered from the condition - and she was understandably worried and concerned.

"The patient came to see us on a Thursday evening," said Teresa McKillop from the Walk-In Centre. "Within 45 minutes we had assessed her condition, explained it to her, reassured her, called the Breast Cancer Unit at Newcastle General Hospital and secured an appointment for her on the following Tuesday, printed off her notes and faxed them to the consultant."

She added: "By working closely with our colleagues elsewhere in the NHS, we were able to reassure our patient and set her on a path of treatment - even though her own GP was based hundreds of miles away. We were also able to arrange for her to be seen well within the two week Government target for cancerous lumps."

The Newcastle Central NHS Walk-In Centre is run by Care UK contracted by the Department of Health. It is one of a number of independently run NHS Walk-In Centres that were introduced to provide easy access primary care to people in areas where they live and work. Care UK also runs NHS Walk-In Centres in Dagenham in Essex, and Victoria and Stamford Hill in London.

The Newcastle Central NHS Walk-In Centre is open between 7.00am and 7.00pm, Monday to Friday. No appointment is necessary. More information is available by calling 0191 233 3670.

The Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre, run by Care UK on behalf of the NHS, sees on average 75 patients a day.

The Walk-In Centre is situated on Buckingham Gate and is within easy access of Victoria and St. James's Park stations. It offers a wide range of services to NHS patients who live and work in the area, including health information, advice and treatment for a range of illnesses and minor injuries, without the need to make an appointment first. Patients are usually seen on a first come, first served basis unless someone is acutely unwell and needs immediate attention.

The range of conditions treated at the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre varies from minor illnesses, cuts and grazes and strains and sprains, to emergency contraception, stomach upsets, minor skin infections and other common illnesses. Treatments are carried out by a team of fully qualified doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.

The Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre employs 10 members of staff including two GPs, a lead nurse, three nurse practitioners and two triage nurses.

Derek Witt, manager of the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre, commented: "We are delighted that the Secretary of State has officially opened the Walk-In Centre. We are encouraged by the number of patients who visit us on a daily basis, and they are equally delighted with the level of care they have received. We are very pleased to be making a difference to NHS patients in our neighbourhood."

The Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre is part of a Government initiative which has introduced Walk-In Centres to help people with busy lives who need access to flexible and convenient health services. Walk-In Centres do not replace local GP or hospital services, but complement them by providing more patients with convenient access to a range of treatments for minor illnesses and injuries.

The Walk-In Centre is open from 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday to Friday. More information is available by calling the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre on 0207 340 1190.

To help remedy this shortage, last summer the new Broad Street GP practice and NHS Walk-In Centre opened its doors. The GP practice was the first of its kind in the UK to be run by an independent health care company on behalf of the NHS. It is designed to bring GP services to more people in the PCT area.

The NHS Walk-In Centre is part of a Government initiative to bring health services closer to the people who need them the most. It is the second NHS Walk-In Centre in Barking and Dagenham - the other is located at Upney Lane in Barking.

Both the GP practice and the NHS Walk-In Centre are run by Care UK, a specialist independent health and social care with a proven track record of working with the NHS.

So far over 1,500 people have registered with the GP practice, and this is very encouraging, but there is more capacity available for the people of Barking and Dagenham.

Statistics also show that some 8,000 people in the PCT area are not registered with a GP, despite the obvious benefits of registration to long-term health care.

Joan Woolcock, practice manager at Broad Street, said: "We are encouraged by the number of local people who have registered with the GP practice so far, and they are delighted with the service they are receiving. We can register 7,500 patients at the practice, so we really want to encourage more people to come forward and use our services. We operate like any other NHS GP practice, with treatment and advice available free of charge at the point of access."

In an area which, over the past years, has been 'under-doctored', local people may need reminding why it is a good idea to register with a GP practice. The benefits mean:

- You will have peace of mind for you and your family, knowing that there is a team of medical experts available who know you and your medical history

- You can make an appointment to see a GP whenever you feel it is necessary. It is free to do so and it means that you may be seen by a doctor quickly.

- If you are on regular medication, a GP can check that it is appropriate for you and make recommendations if necessary. They can also help you ensure that you receive your regular medication when you need it, and that you are taking it correctly.

- A GP will be able to refer you to specialists and other treatments should he or she think it is right for you. This means that you will receive the best care for you and that you may get better faster.

Joan continued: "The benefits are obvious, and we are here to help. If any local people want to come and see the practice before they register, they are more than welcome to do so - simply gives us a call to arrange an appointment. Registering with a GP is easy and straightforward, and in the long run will mean improved health for you and your family. It's a win-win situation."

Broad Street NHS Walk-In Centre is open to any member of the public seven days a week - from 8.00am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and 10.00am to 6.00pm at weekends. A visit here could save you a trip to A & E.

The Broad Street GP practice is open from 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday, and 10.00am to 2.00pm on Saturday.

For more information, please call the Broad Street NHS GP Practice on 0208 465 3652 and the Broad Street NHS Walk-In Centre on 0208 596 4400.

Visit the Broad Street NHS Walk in Centre website

The Walk-In Centre is situated on Buckingham Gate and is within easy access of Victoria and St. James's Park stations. It offers a wide range of services to NHS patients, including health information, advice and treatment for a range of illnesses and minor injuries, without the need to make an appointment first. Patients are usually seen on a first come, first served basis unless someone is acutely unwell and needs immediate attention.

The range of conditions treated at the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre varies from minor illnesses, cuts and grazes and strains and sprains, to emergency contraception, stomach upsets, minor skin infections and other common illnesses. Treatments are carried out by fully qualified doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.

Derek Witt, manager of the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre, commented: "We are delighted by the number of patients who have visited us since we opened, and they are equally delighted with the level of care they have received. We are very pleased to be making a difference to NHS patients in our neighbourhood."

The Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre is part of a Government initiative which has introduced Walk-In Centres to help people with busy lives who need access to flexible and convenient health services. Walk-In Centres do not replace local GP or hospital services, but complement them by providing more patients with convenient access to a range of treatments for minor illnesses and injuries.

The Walk-In Centre is open from 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday to Friday. More information is available by calling the Victoria NHS Walk-In Centre on 0207 340 1190.