Since the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) announced its plans to close the much-valued Bitterne Walk-in Centre I have been working to find a solution that will both protect the Walk-in Centre and perhaps release funding to assist with the additional pressures winter puts on health services.

I have asked the Labour controlled council to use the powers it has to ask the CCG to think again. Unfortunately Labour councillors don’t see the closure as important enough to intervene and have refused. They do however; think it is worthy of collecting names on a petition while doing nothing in practical terms to prevent its closure.

They have one more opportunity. The Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel (HOSP) have the power to refer the decision directly to the Secretary of State. This evening I will attend that panel and ask all councillors to support my proposal to do just that. The panel will meet this evening at 6pm and you can catch up with the issue here