Wallasey walk-in Centre and minor injuries unit - one of the busiest in the country - has been officially opened along with the outpatients department at Victoria Centre Hospital.

The purpose-built, £2m minor injuries unit, developed by Wirral Primary Care Trust, became a walk-in centre in 2000 and now treats around 36,000 patients a year for a variety of conditions, from bites and burns to colds and flu, and no appointment is necessary.

Chairman of the Wallasey League of Friends, Canon Paul Robinson, pictured, performed the official opening of both facilities, which share the same building.

Also pictured are Kathy Doran, chief executive of Wirral PCT and Kay Taylor, unit clinical manager.

Canon Robinson said the facility had united the whole community: "The new centres are here because the whole community came together to demonstrate the need for it in Wallasey.

"It has united local people, hospital friends, health service unions, consultants and also nursing staff.

"When the old hospital buildings were being replaced, the community came together and persuaded the then Health Minister, Dr Gerard Vaughan, to provide what was to become the very first of a ground-breaking facility in the country - a local walk-in unit for minor injuries and diseases."

Walk-in centres are designed to complement local GP and hospital services and are staffed by highly-skilled nurse practitioners who provide advice, diagnosis and treatment.

Sister Kay Taylor, unit clinical manager, said: "It is a pleasure to come to work everyday.

"We are a friendly unit and our staff are very hardworking and supportive of each other.

"This in turn leads to a happy environment for our staff and patients."

Attendances have increased considerably since the facility opened in 2000, with an average of 36,000 patients a year using the Minor Injuries/Walk-in Centre and approximately 39,000 a year attending the Outpatients Department. Until 2004 the centre had been located in an old Victorian building.

The centre is staffed by a team of 53, including medical, nursing and administrative support.

It is open to patients from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 10pm, and during weekends and Bank Holidays from 9am to 10pm.