HEALTH bosses are set to scrap all walk-in access to a GP at St Mary’s Hospital during the day, pending a consultation on the impact on A&E.
The IW Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which allocates funds and orders health services for Islanders, plans to save £400,000.
It changed the name of the Beacon Centre, in October, to the Urgent Care Service and urged Islanders not to use it, unless necessary. Patients were asked to call 111, see a pharmacist or book an appointment with a community GP.
Since then, demand has fallen by around 23 per cent.
Health chiefs now want to scrap the three full-time GP posts and two nurse practitioners who work at the hospital between 8am and 6.30pm, from April 1.
As a result of the walk-in closure, a CCG report said one-third of surgeries would see one additional patient per day, another third would see two more per day and the remaining third would see an increase of three to five patients.
When the Beacon Centre was renamed on October 1, the operating hours were not changed, but staffing was reduced.
After 6.30pm, Islanders can call 111 and attend the out-of-hours service at St Mary’s Hospital, in the former Beacon Centre.

Reporter: matthewm@iwcpmail.co.uk