A walk-in health centre and GP practice is to open.

Patients will be able to turn up and see a GP without an appointment anytime between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

The centre, which is to be based in the existing health centre in The Parade, in Oadby, will also be home to a new GP practice.

The venture will be run for the NHS by private company UnitedHealth Primary Care.

The company was awarded a five-year contract to run the service in January and had been due to open the centre in the spring, but has been struggling to find premises.

Officials at primary care trust NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland have now agreed the company can use the building the NHS already owns. They say it is a temporary measure while the company continues its search for permanent premises.

The new centre is part of a Government plan, announced last year, for every primary care trust to open similar centres to increase choice access to GPs.

Catherine Griffiths, chief executive of NHS Leicestershire and Rutland, said: "We recognise there is a gap in this kind of health service provision in the Oadby and Wigston area.

"By locating this centre in Oadby and Wigston, we are offering an alternative service for those patients who continue to go to A&E with minor injuries or illnesses."

Existing clinics already based in the centre, including podiatry and speech and language therapy, will remain.

Pat Batchelor, practice manager for the new centre, said: "This is great news for local people. We will be working hard to ensure the smooth integration of this new facility into local health services."

John Gant is chairman of NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland.

He said: "It has been a challenging and, at times, a difficult process but we were determined to do our best to meet the needs of patients in the area."

Chris Trzcinski, a Markfield GP and chairman of the trust's professional executive committee which represents health professionals, said: "The new centre will offer patients a great choice of services to use, particularly for urgent problems."

Tony Sampson, director of external affairs for UnitedHealth Primary Care, said he hoped the centre would be up and running as soon as possible. He added there would be 13 staff, including "two to three" GPs.