Families from an Eltham estate are up in arms after discovering plans to cut funding to an NHS health centre which provides “vital” care.

The Source, on Sibthorpe Road, is a nurse-led service serving the whole of Greenwich borough, but is a “godsend” to those living on the Horn Park Estate.

Penny Holland, 69, told News Shopper that families are heavily reliant on the walk-in clinic as there are no local doctors in the area and appointments are scarce.

She said: “Unless you’re dead you’re not going to see a GP for three weeks.

“If the kids aren’t well you just pop round The Source.

“It is an absolute godsend having it on this estate.”

An employee at the health centre, who asked not to be named, told News Shopper the closure of the centre would have a significant detrimental effect on the community.

They said: “We are all very passionate about the service we provide at The Source and it is a travesty that it will likely be closed.

“We are an over-performing and mostly under-budget small service that takes a great deal of pressure off local GPs, walk-in centres and A&E.

“In the grand scheme of Oxleas and the NHS we don't cost very much at all and are very low maintenance.

“There should be more nurse-led services like ours – not less.”

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Eltham MP Clive Efford has launched a petition on his website as part of his campaign to keep the centre open.

He said: “Since it opened, The Source has treated over 5,000 patients per year for a wide range of conditions including minor illnesses and injuries and carrying out vital childhood and flu vaccinations.

“The source provides a vital service for all residents on the Horn Park Estate providing great value for money and should not be closed.”

Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) currently fund The Source and told News Shopper that local alternatives are in place to provide services for residents.

A spokesman said: “Over 80 per cent of the activity of The Source falls outside Greenwich CCG’s areas of responsibility.

“As such the CCG has taken the difficult decision to stop funding the nurse-led service from October 2016.

“We are working with partners in health and social care to see if services can be continued on the site and on signposting to other existing local services.

“There are six GP practices located within a manageable distance (around a mile or less) from The Source. “All three Greenwich practices nearby offer extended opening hours and extended nurse-led services.

“Wound dressing services will continue to be provided by the district nurses.”

But Ms Holland is not ready to give up hope and says she will do everything she can to convince Greenwich CCG to keep the service going.

She said: “If they have a bee in their bonnet about why it should stay, they should know it is an essential part of this area.

“If we can do something to keep it, we will.

“We won’t go down without a fight.”