A YEAR since its inception the borough's NHS Walk-in Centre has made great strides.

And nurses and staff at the centre celebrated its first birthday by declaring the facility a "real success".

Around 11,500 patients have walked into the centre since it opened in July last year and the number of people using it continues to rise.

Bury NHS Walk-in Centre, in Parsons Lane, Bury, offers people access to an experienced NHS nurse, without an appointment, for health advice and treatment for minor ailments and injuries. Since it opened last year the centre has extended the range of services to include blood tests, counselling by appointment and smoking cessation advice.

The centre is open from Monday to Friday 7am to 10 pm, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays 9am to 10pm, 365 days a year. Janet Hall, lead nurse said: "We are delighted with the way in which the centre has developed over the past year and now more and more local people are using it as a valuable resource to supplement other NHS services. The feedback we get from patients is that it is important for them to have a facility at hand where they can obtain a fast medical assessment by an experienced nurse and if necessary follow-up treatment for conditions that need not warrant a trip to the GP surgery or accident and emergency department."

She added: "We are building on the success and will continue to raise awareness in establishing the centre as a key health facility for local people and visitors to Bury."

A dental access centre will open later this year within the walk-in facility.