A SCHEME to provide 24/7 access to a GP at the Royal Blackburn Hospital is no longer a priority, according to clinical commissioners.

Plans for a round-the-clock service at the Haslingden Road site were unveiled more than two years ago, as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund, promoted by the then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

But health bosses have now been told that Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is not promoting the scheme, which was originally backed by a local GPs consortium, any further.

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An approach had been made to NHS England’s Estate and Technology Transformation Fund (ETTF) to provide financial support for the initiative.

But Peter Sellars, the clinical commissioning group’s primary care lead, said in a board report: “The primary care access centre is now not a priority and is not being progressed by the CCG.”

Dr Mohammed Umer, launching the bid two years ago, said: “We believe this will bring real change to improve access for patients. In turn this should help reduce the increasing pressures on accident and emergency.”

The proposed centre was said to be capable of generating just under 400 consultation slots each week.

But since early 2015 efforts have been made to improve patient access via a spoke and hub system, with extra evening and weekend appointments being offered at Barbara Castle Way and Darwen health centres.

Proposals to offer similar provisions in Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Ribble Valley have also been advanced by East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Clinical commissioners have been asked to draw up outline business cases for two further Blackburn health centre schemes though, which have been highlighted previously by the Lancashire Telegraph.

One ‘super surgery’, for the north of the town, would cover patients currently under the Umar, Little Harwood, Primrose Bank and Brookhouse health centres, and the Brownhill, Roe Lee and Shifa surgeries.

Another for the west of Blackburn, which could be located near Witton Park, and incorporate those on the lists of Witton Medical Centre and Redlam and Limefield surgeries.

Blackburn with Darwen CCG has been asked to confirm whether either of their bids would be up and running by 2019-20.

East Lancashire CCG is also behind a new £3.3million health centre for West Craven, under the same national ETTF programme.

The proposed centre would cater for 11,500 patients and be based in Barnoldswick, providing new accommodation for the seven-doctor surgery in Park Road.

Several new housing developments are currently underway in the Pendle town.