A petition to keep a walk-in centre open has garnered more than 4,000 signatures.

People have rallied around the service at Loxford Polyclinic, a centre for general and specialist health treatments, that has been called “a true community hub.

Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group, which decides which hospitals and clinics provide what services, revealed plans to close the walk-in centre on the site in a public consultation earlier this summer.

Those presenting the petition criticised the CCG’s choice to hold a public consultation on the potential closure during the summer holidays, whilst people were away or busy.

Redbridge Council attempted to get the CCG to extend the consultation deadline to offset this issue, but say the request was refused.

Redbridge CCG refutes this, saying it in fact extended the deadline for the council for two weeks.

At Redbridge Council’s full council meeting last night, the authority gave its full support to the signatories and will now hand the petition on to the CCG.

Cllr Neil Zammett, Labour councillor for Goodmayes, led the council’s support for the petition and the fight against the closure of the walk-in centre.

He said: “I’d like to say congratulations on this petition, this is one of the highest rate of engagement for a petition I have ever seen.”

Cllr Kam Rai, Labour councillor for Goodmayes ward and deputy council leader, said: “We want to work with the CCG, but we need them to listen.”

Cllr Paul Canal, Conservative councillor for Bridge ward, said: “This transcends politics, we have a health crisis in the south of the borough where BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) individuals are more likely to die young than other populations elsewhere in the borough.

“The problem may be the CCG and our residents are suffering. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with residents.”

Loxford is one of the most diverse and deprived areas of Redbridge and in London.

A spokesperson for Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Groups (BHR CCGs) said: “The BHR CCGs ran a 14-week public consultation from May to September 2018 to gather local people’s views on our proposals to improve community urgent care services.

“We presented proposals to over 25 community groups and shared information at 11 events across the three boroughs.

“Loxford Polyclinic currently provides 14,000 appointments a year. The consultation proposed to change the service from a ‘walk-in’ to a bookable one, by calling NHS 111.

“Loxford Polyclinic will still offer the same number of appointments a year and it is not closing. The change would shorten waiting times and allow patients to be seen more quickly.

“We received more than 1,050 responses from members of the public and stakeholders and are now in the process of analysing all the feedback. This will be considered by the CCGs’ governing bodies before they make a final decision.

“No petition has yet been received by the CCGs but all feedback on our proposals will be duly considered.”