A former Prime Minister returned to a medical clinic five years after his first visit.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair joined Labour’s Harrow West candidate Gareth Thomas when he met staff at Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic.

Mr Blair first visited the clinic in 2010, and today he toured the facilities and spoke to staff about the reopening of the walk-in centre – as well as having his blood pressure taken by Dr David Lloyd.

The centre’s opening hours were cut back in 2011, which Mr Thomas says increased pressure on the already strained A&E department at Northwick Park hospital.

After a campaign by the MP, the centre recently returned to its previous opening hours from 8am-8pm, seven days a week.

Mr Blair said: “I am delighted to support Gareth and hear about his successful campaign supporting local doctors keep the obviously popular Alexandra Ave Walk-In Clinic fully open.”

The Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic first opened in 2009 as part of Labour’s reforms to bridge the gap between hospitals and GP practices by offering a range of health services under tone roof.

Gareth Thomas, Labour’s Candidate for Harrow West, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Tony Blair, who did so much to improve our NHS, to Harrow and the Alexandra Avenue Centre to support my campaign at this year’s General Election.

“This is a very popular clinic at weekends and people are able to be seen by a doctor or nurse in about 15 minutes, where as if they were to go to Northwick Park they would have to wait several hours.

“Services at Northwick Park are under severe pressure, that’s why it was so important to ensure the opening hours at Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic were extended.

“But we need to do more to save our NHS and reduce hospital waiting times.”