May I welcome the recent opening of the new Nelson Health Centre, with its excellent community health facilities, which I am sure will be greatly appreciated by residents in the wider Wimbledon area. I do, however, have one reservation about the services available.

This stems from recent personal experience, when I needed to see a GP about a chest infection which was giving me increasing difficulties. It was a Saturday, and the Nelson website confirmed it was closed until the following Monday.

Instead I went to the Wilson Hospital in Mitcham, where they offer a walk-in GP service from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, whether or not you are registered with them. I left with a prescription for antibiotics. By the Monday, instead of still waiting to see a GP at the Nelson, possibly with an even worse infection, I was much improved.

Statistically it seems pretty likely that two out of every seven ill health situations will occur at weekends rather than on a week day. Bugs do not know what day of the week it is. May I therefore ask for an 8am to 8pm, seven day a week GP service at the Nelson for Wimbledon residents as soon as possible.

I am sure that what can be provided in the relatively dilapidated buildings of the Wilson Hospital, can equally be provided in the modern, clean cut, state of the art facilities that the Nelson offers. The residents of Wimbledon deserve no less a GP service than those of Mitcham.

Councillor Jeff Hanna

Merton Council