LEIGH NHS Walk-In Centre is urging residents to think twice before calling in for treatment.

The centre, which is based at The Avenue, treats urgent but non-serious conditions such as suspected simple fractures, sprains, minor burns and chest infections.

Like the rest of the NHS, the centre has been under intense pressure this Christmas period and treated 1,303 unscheduled patients.

Clinical services manager at Leigh NHS Walk-in Centre, Catherine Partington, said: “Our highly dedicated team of staff support our local hospitals by providing the best possible treatment they can to everyone who comes through our doors at the walk-in centre.

“We welcome anyone who needs treatment, but as the winter progresses, more pressure is put on our local accident and emergency departments and our centre.

“For example, over Christmas, we saw a sharp increase in the numbers of seriously ill patients including many patients with acute cardiac conditions, respiratory conditions and very poorly children.

“As a result, we are kindly asking the public if they feel unwell to choose carefully which NHS service they access.”

Last year, more than 56,000 patients used the centre.

It is run by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Bridgewater) in partnership with Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group

“If you have a mild cold, cough, upset stomach or hangover, please consider getting advice at your local pharmacy,” Ms Partington added.

“Many of these conditions can last for over a week and antibiotics will not help.”

Residents who need out-of-hours help are also advised to contact NHS 11 or make an appointment with their GP.