A 'mini hospital' working round the clock is to open at a new £2 million Bradford health centre.

A new 90-room centre in Tong Street will be the first in the district to treat the 'walking wounded', as well as providing a range of medical services for 30,000 people in Holme Wood, Bierley, Tyersal, East Bowling, Drighlington, and Birkenshaw.

The centre in Proctor Street will replace an ageing one in nearby Vulcan Street which cares for 12,000 people.

But anyone passing the centre will be able to walk in for treatment of minor injuries 24 hours a day - which should reduce outpatients seeking care at the BRI's busy casualty department.

Due to open in June, the centre will include an X-ray facility, ultrasound, and provide minor surgery, physiotherapy and chiropody plus a range of clinics and advice services.

It will aim to be a 'one-stop shop' with many more services than a traditional local health centre.

Dr Angela Moulson, one of the eight GPs moving to the centre from Vulcan Street, said the new injuries unit would be a satellite service for the BRI.

She said: "It's a significant development for patients and it's the first of its type in the region.

"A lot of people in Holme Wood and Bierley don't have cars and it's two bus rides to get to the BRI.

"Obviously we couldn't deal with major traumas like heart attacks but we will take the pressure off the BRI by being able to treat things like cuts, bruises and minor burns."

Many of the services run at Vulcan Street will take place more regularly because of the extra space provided in the new centre.

Vulcan Street manager Carol Dyas, who will move with 40 other staff to run the new centre, said the two existing practices had outgrown the old centre, designed to house four GPs.

She said: "We have real problems moving people around to run the range of services we want. Neurology and urology treatment for example will be able to be increased."

The centre was designed and funded by Sheffield-based healthcare developers Benchmark Medical. It is being built by Totty Construction of Bradford.

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