Witham is to get a long-awaited minor injuries clinic in the town this year.
A new unit at Bridge Hospital will take over much of the out-of-hours patient care as doctors opt out of providing night visits and Saturday surgeries.
Former town mayor Kieron Boylan has headed the fight for a Witham clinic for more than four years.
"I am jubilant," he said.
"We have been guaranteed a centre of our own where people can be treated on the spot, without the long trip into Broomfield. It will be a great asset to everyone."
The unit will come on line after most GPs in Witham and Braintree stop caring for patients out of surgery hours after April.
The GPs are ready to ditch weekend and evening cover when a new deal from the NHS begins.
The contract will allow GPs to pass responsibility to the Braintree, Witham and Halstead Primary Care Group, the managerial body which funds them.
A survey of the 19 practices covering the three towns and the surrounding countryside shows that all but two are ready to opt out so doctors can have more time with family.
Published Friday January 2, 2004
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