This week the Kent Messenger has launched a petition asking West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to provide a clinic to help ease the strain on our doctors’ surgeries and emergency departments.

But we need your help, your experiences and, most importantly, your name signed.

We know GPs are under pressure, we know it can take weeks to get an appointment and we know sometimes people go to A&E as a last resort when they need medical attention.

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A walk-in centre could ease the tensions on our local health services, which are near to breaking point – not to mention the extra 18,560 homes which could be coming our way in the next 15 years.

If every household could spare just 30 seconds to back our petition, such a show of opinion would force health bosses to, at the very least, consider making such a service available in Maidstone – the most populated Kent district without either a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch says the service could help reduce emergency admissions at hospitals.

She said: "Walk in centres can help alleviate pressure for A&E and if this is something local health providers think will help serve my constituents in need then it is certainly something I would support."

Our push to secure this provision in the County Town comes as a government panel this week ordered a review of general practice, warning of a looming crisis.

The Public Accounts Committee says problems with recruitment and retention of GPs mean there are not enough to meet demand. Already many of Maidstone’s surgeries are at breaking point, with waits of several weeks reported for appointments and two closing their books to new patients.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for help, asking for a rescue package to ensure the survival of general practice.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA GP committee chairman, said: “GP services are being overwhelmed by rising patient demand, especially from an ageing population with complex, chronic medical conditions. GP practices simply do not have the staff or resources to cope.”

A recent BMA survey found one in 10 GPs believed their surgeries were financially unsustainable, with more than 300 believed to be on the brink of closure. In the South, the same percentage of practices had a GP looking to retire.

An NHS England South spokesman told Kent Online: “Some GP practices are feeling the pressure of rising patient demand and we continue to work on measures aimed at supporting GPs and tackling workload.

"As part of our efforts to boost primary care, we are investing £10m nationally in struggling practices.”

The initiatives include marketing campaigns, training hubs and incentives to help recruit GPs, offering part-time options to doctors considering retirement and schemes to encourage those working overseas or taking a career break to return to the NHS.

To sign the petition, click here

How long does it take you to get an appointment with your GP? Have you ever gone to A&E for something that wasn’t an emergency because there was nowhere else to go? Perhaps you have had planned surgery cancelled because the hospital was too busy dealing with urgent admissions? Email your experiences to messengernews@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 01622 695666