DOZENS of disheartened protesters gathered outside Accrington Victoria Hospital's GP centre as the walk-in centre closed for the final time.

The service shut its doors at 8pm this evening and will be replaced by a new system of GP access in the area.

Chris Reid, along with Kimberley Whitehead, who run the 'SAVE the Accrington Walk-in Centre' prtest group, said the service will be vitally missed.

Mr Reid said: "Everyone here is sad, disheartened and angry.

"We're losing such an important service that has affected the lives of so many people."

Shelia Baxter, from Oswaldtwistle, who uses the centre, said: "The closure is going to cost lives.

"There will be long queues at Blackburn A and E, forget waiting five hours, you will be waiting eight.

"People in Accrington paid a penny out of their wages to build this centre.

"There was also private donations which funded some of the cost.

"The Government has no right to take this away at all."

Hyndburn MP, Graham Jones, who joined the leader of Hyndburn Borough Council, Cllr Miles Parkinson, at the protester, said: "Where will people go now?

"If you needed to see a GP at 5pm at night you could pull up outside, walk in and get treated.

"We had 42,000 visits last year to the centre and statistics show 25 per cent will now turn to A and E.

"Some won't go to their GP, some will fight to get an appointment and have to wait long periods.

"It has been there more than 10 years.

"The CCG has closed this through a bogus consultation which the Government failed to put patients needs first, which left the CCG to make the cuts."

The East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group said the closure does not affect the minor injuries unit, x-ray or any other in-patient or out-patient service delivered from the hospital.

They said GP services remain available 24/7 through the patient’s own GP practice as usual or by ringing 111 at weekends or after 6.30pm week days.