NHS Walk-in Services

Our experience demonstrates that easy access to primary care is the key to delivering health services which meet the needs of modern society.

One of the ways we achieve this is by running two NHS Walk-In Centres, at Manchester Piccadilly and Canary Wharf, London, that offer patients readily available services simply by coming in off the street.

Our contract with the Department of Health stipulates a complete 'design, build and operate' solution that demanded the delivery of an extraordinary range of interdependent services from the start:

Identifying appropriate premises for each Centre
Acquiring the properties
Full fit-out
Purchasing and installing all the medical equipment needed
Identifying and recruiting medical and administrative staff
Operating the Centres in accordance with Standards for Better Health
Undergoing and passing pre-opening and post-opening 'go-live' inspections by independent agencies in order to confirm compliance with all necessary primary care legislation.

Our NHS Walk-In Centres combine exemplary clinical standards with the highest possible percentage of 'complete episode care'. Patients can receive diagnosis, treatment and/or advice, and leave the Centre with no more care required by any medical professional. Each Centre also provides a very valuable 'signposting' function for those patients who require more specialist care.

The Centres are monitored by the Department of Health and the host Primary Care Trust, using reports generated by a bespoke IT system. They operate under a robust clinical governance framework with clear lines of responsibility to Atos Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer.

Award-winning services

In May 2007, our Walk-in Centre services won the Best Operational Health Scheme award and most importantly, also won the Best Overall UK Project at the Public/Private Finance Awards. The awards reflect the extraordinary quality of our delivery in the following areas: