A FAMILY who say the Worcester walk-in health centre prevented them being hit by tragedy have hit out at the planned closure of the facility.

Jenny Willis says staff at the Farrier Street centre saved her life when she was suffering from a bleed on the brain.

Earlier this month it was announced the centre would close in August as part of a revamp of urgent care services in the county.

But the decision has been met with dismay across the city, including from Ms Willis of Grisedale Drive, and her partner Jules Dowling.

Mr Dowling said, when she began to suffer a serious headache in April 2011, she initially visited her doctor’s surgery in Tolladine.

But, since the couple had moved to the Warndon area, doctors at the surgery were unable to see her.

“We went to the walk-in centre instead and they saw us very quickly,” he said. “As soon as the staff saw her they told me to take her straight to hospital.”

Ms Willis was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where it was discovered she had suffered a bleed on the brain, and was transferred to Coventry Walsgrave within hours. Although she made a full recovery, Mr Dowling said the outcome could have been far graver.

“I firmly believe, with everything I was told at Coventry and the Royal, if she hadn’t been seen when she was seen it could have been too late,” he said.

“Everyone was fantastic.”

The couple have hit out at the decision taken by South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group to close the walk-in element centre, which deals with 15,000 patients a year.

Mr Dowling said: “It’s made such a massive difference to us.

“To lose a facility like that in this day and age is just terrible.

“Surely it’s got to be value for money? It’s situated in an ideal place for a lot of people and it’s ideal for those who don’t know where to turn.”

The closure is part of the Worcestershire Urgent Care Strategy, with health bosses saying it had become so busy the walk-in element had become difficult to sustain.

It has also been planned to set up a new urgent care centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, which it is claimed would make the walk-in centre redundant.