Deal reached to keep Corby Urgent Care Centre open until 2021

This morning (Wednesday) Corby CCG announced they had reached a deal with OnePrimaryCare, part of Leeds-based OneMedicalGroup, to run the Cottingham Road centre for two years from April 1 this year.

They said the service will run as before and will be uninterrupted, continuing to operate between 8am and 8pm every day of the year with patients able to walk in and be seen without an appointment.

Rachel Beverley-Stevenson, chief executive of OneMedicalGroup, said: “The team and I are very much looking forward to working closely with Corby CCG to deliver the Corby Urgent Care Centre to those in the community with an urgent care need, from 8am until 8pm, 365 days a year.

“We recognise how well-loved and valued the service is by the local community and are excited to have been given this opportunity to bring our experience of delivering urgent and primary care services across the UK, underpinned by our values of people first, working together for a better future.”

OneMedicalGroup currently runs urgent care centres in Derby and Bracknell in Berkshire, as well as a walk-in in Sheffield.

They also run practices in Leeds, Derby and Windermere in Cumbria.

Toby Sanders, chief executive of Northamptonshire’s CCGs, said he was delighted to welcome the new provider and said they would work together to ensure a “smooth and timely transition of services”.

Campaigners had been battling over the future of the health complex after a long-running saga.

It started after a stalemate between the health body and current operators Lakeside+ over funding in 2017 threatened the closure of the much-loved walk-in centre.

Just over a year ago the CCG announced that they would keep it open but said the walk-in service would change to appointments only, to the outrage of campaigners.

They launched a legal challenge over the lack of consultation about the changes and made legal history when a judge ruled in their favour.

The CCG then backed down and said they would look for a new operator on the terms of the current service for three years - although the OnePrimaryCare deal is for two.

The centre will now continue to be available to all patients who have a pressing health need, which may include a minor injury needing additional immediate treatment or investigation such as an X-ray, or a medical condition which is getting worse.

Ms Beverley-Stevenson added: “We are natural collaborators and are delighted to have the chance to work with patients and staff of Corby Urgent Care Centre, the wider population and the whole of the health and social care system on developing the service over the coming months and years.

“We look forward to welcoming the existing team into our group and working with them to transfer the service with a view to delivering excellent quality, patient-centred care to the Corby community at Cottingham Road.”