Medway Maritime Hospital could soon open a new urgent care centre in a bid to simplify services for patients.

As part of the plans, the walk-in centre at Balmoral Gardens Healthy Living Centre would be closed just four years after the service was moved from Canterbury Street.

The Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which plans and buys health services in the area, is considering moving it to the hospital to try to reduce pressure on A&E.

It is hoped the move will simplify the urgent care system and help meet national requirements.

Urgent care is for people who can’t wait for a routine appointment with a GP but whose condition is not life threatening.

The current options are to call 111, visit a minor injuries unit or walk-in centre, contact the out-of-hours GP or visit the A&E department.

More than half of patients chose A&E instead of trying their doctors, even if the illness was not an emergency.

And 95% of people use the walk-in centre at Balmoral because they were unable to get an appointment.

During 2016/17 the CCG spent £15m on emergency and urgent care.

This amount will not be reduced but health professionals want to bring all services together in one location and provide services 24-hours seven days a week.

'Our proposals are intended to improve the patient experience' - Dr Sharif Hossain

Dr Sharif Hossain, clinical lead for urgent care at the CCG, said: “Ultimately our proposals are intended to improve the patient experience and ensure better health outcomes.

“Locally, we know up to six out of 10 patients choose to go to A&E first without trying to access their GP or a different urgent care service, even when their illness or injury is not an emergency.

“This has to change – not only to improve the experience and outcome for those seeking urgent care but also to ensure patients with critical, life-threatening conditions can be treated quickly and appropriately.”

You can have a look at all of the plans at one of the events taking place over the next few weeks.

They will be held on Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Priestfield Stadium, Redfern Avenue, Gillingham, ME7 4DD and on August 30 from 9am-5pm at the Oasis Academy (Isle of Sheppey West Campus), Marine Parade, Sheerness, ME12 2BE.

The final event will be on Tuesday, September 5, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at St George Hotel, 8 New Road, Chatham, ME4 6BB.