Hundreds of people have backed a campaign to re-open a medical centre in Greenwich’s “forgotten estate”.

Eltham MP Clive Efford, along with former patients, residents and councillors of the Horn Park estate, are campaigning for the Clinical Commissioning Group (the body in charge of local NHS services) to reopen The Source walk-in centre in Sibthorpe Road.

Patients were left devastated in 2016 when the CCG decided to cut its funding to the nurse-led centre.

At the time the CCG said 80 per cent of activity at The Source was outside its responsibility, meaning funding was to be axed.

The decision was dubbed a “travesty” for the Horn Park community, which campaigned against the closure.

Now a new petition calling for the centre – which treated 5,000 people a year -to be re-established has been backed by more than 600 people in just over a week.

Mr Efford, who campaigned against the closure in 2016, said: “NHS services should be local and convenient for those who need them.  We campaigned against the closure in 2016 and now we are saying enough is enough – we need to re-open The Source now.”

One Middle Park and Sutcliffe resident, and former patient, 74-year-old Roger Gartland, has been organising the petition.

Mr Gartland said that in under an hour outside Horn Park Primary School the petition was backed by 70 residents.

He said: “Horn Park is the the forgotten estate, and losing The Source was just one part of it. They haven’t a GP on there since the 90s.

“People were very fond of The Source, they trusted it. Speaking to people this week, people said that if you had an unwell child you could be told from The Source where to go next. It stopped people going to GPs or hospitals – that’s been just one common story.

“We were told when The Source closed there would be facilities available within a mile or less, well maybe as the crow flies, but in reality that’s just not been true. Now is the time it should be brought back.”

The campaign is being supported by local councillors Ian Hawking, Christine May and Mark James, as well as council leader Danny Thorpe.

Cllr Thorpe said: “The council fully supports Clive Efford’s campaign to see a return of The Source, a much love medical centre closed due to government cuts.

“Since the Clinical Commissioning Group took the decision to close the centre the former premises has remained vacant for a long period of time, loosing precious funds for the council.

“A prospective tenant would like to change the use of the empty unit to open a new shop and we are supportive as this would improve the look of the street and generate revenue for the council.

“However, alongside MP Clive Efford the council urges the Clinical Commissioning Group to consider opening a new medical centre in the area.”

A survey has been organised by the Eltham MP which can be found here.

A spokeswoman for the CCG said: "When The Source was decommissioned in 2016, from providing Flu, Immunisations and Cytology with some minor dressings NHS Greenwich CCG supported Horn Park residents to access the full range of  GP services at a number of nearby GP practices. 

"There was no access to GP patient records in this stand-alone clinic, which raised clinical safety concerns.

"The CCG has commissioned a GP Access Hub clinic at Eltham Community Hospital, which is located one mile from Horn Park.  The GP Access Hub, open seven days a week, is a greatly enhanced offer for local residents, with appointments available on 8am-8pm on weekends and on weekday evenings until 8pm.

"We are currently arranging for our new Clinical Chair, Dr Krishna Subbarayan, and senior commissioners to meet with Cllr Mark James and interested parties."