A PROTEST was held this morning in Pinner to save Harrow polyclinics from budget cuts.

The event, at the Pinn Medical Centre, was attended by Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, as well as users of the polyclinic.

The 8am to 8pm walk-in service could be axed as NHS Harrow, which runs it, battles to deal with a £32 million deficit.

The practice was launched in May 2009 with other two centres, the Alexandra Avenue clinic and an urgent care centre at Northwick Park Hospital.

Patient Neil Frais, 64, from Pinner, said: “Myself and my wife use the facilities at the Alexandra Avenue clinic and here and will be appalled if it is to shut or to have its hours reduced.

“The staff here are wonderful and we’re big supporters of the clinics.

“It will be devastating if anything were to happen to it. We accept there is a need for cuts but losing this hammers the whole idea of them in the first place.”

Patient Leonard Capper, 80, from Pinner, said: “This polyclinic is absolutely essential. Try and go to A&E with a small child. It’s very difficult and here it is a much better place.

“By trying to make cuts a great service could be taken away from the community.”

Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, helped campaign for the Alexandra Avenue clinic originally and said: “The clinics are incredibly convenient for people in the area and what we are doing is trying to raise awareness of the situation.

“We have 1,000 signatures already and we will keep the campaign going to keep these vital facilities.

“Patients can just walk in off the street and so the beauty of these clinics is the flexibility.

“We’re going around South Harrow and Rayners Lane tonight to gather support.

“People care immensely about this service and we have so far received many positive comment about the polyclinics.”

NHS Harrow, formerly Harrow PCT, admitted in January its “financial challenges in Harrow are probably bigger than any other PCT in London”.

A NHS Harrow spokeswoman said: “As part of our wider commissioning programme of work with local GPs, we are running a project which focuses on the provision of urgent care in Harrow.

“As part of this, we are reviewing the function and role of all services which provide urgent care to understand whether, and to what extent, the whole system meets the requirements of our patients, and provides good value for money.

“The intention is to take a holistic approach rather than considering individual services in isolation. This approach means that the review includes the Urgent Care Centre and A&E service at Northwick Park Hospital, the GP Out of Hours service, and also the provision of walk in centres in the borough.

“This review has not yet concluded. As part of the ongoing work, there has already been discussion with the leadership team at the Pinn Medical Centre and we will involve them further as the review progresses.

“No decisions have been taken regarding the future of any of the walk in centres in Harrow, and there are a number of options likely to be considered.

“Prior to any decisions being taken, the PCT and GPs will engage in a meaningful way with all interested parties, including local residents.”