An Oldham nurse has set up a community pop-up surgery in a bid to ease health concerns and alleviate GP pressures in the borough.

Sarah Shilton, from Lees, has worked as a nurse for 16 years and pays for the service herself on a voluntary basis.

While her pop-up surgery is not intended to cater to serious problems, Sarah said she hopes it can help with basic health concerns, ease people's minds and lift some of the pressure on GPs, particularly as Oldham is lacking a walk-in centre.

She said: "I hear it all the time - patients are saying it has taken them days to get an appointment and that they can't get through on the phone.

"But on the other side, you've got receptionists with 250 calls on hold to try to get them all appointments.

"So that's where this whole idea has come from as I can provide a walk-in service."

The first surgery was held on Saturday, September 24, at Zion Church and saw a generous turnout from residents with people coming to chat to her with a range of health problems from skin concerns and blocked ears to high blood pressure.

One woman said she was anxious about a medical procedure and Sarah was able to ease her mind.

She can also help with mental health concerns as she has "the time to listen" to people with an informal chat.

Sarah said: "GPs can only offer 10 minutes and it's one problem, one appointment.

"I can talk through multiple at a time because I'm not time constrained. That's the benefit of the pop-up clinic."

Sarah said she might not be able to sort every problem out but she can conduct a medical check, provide some prescriptions and refer patients to their GP for a more thorough investigation with a letter should they need it.

She also comes armed with a plethora of leaflets and advice from mental health to menopause and nutrition, particularly as she said the cost-of-living crisis is already hitting people's health.

Sarah said she noticed in her job that patients can no longer afford paracetamol, let alone healthy meals, and is expecting a rise in asthma and lung problems with more people refusing to turn the heating on as bills rise.

"It's shocking and heartbreaking", she added.

But she said the reaction was "overwhelmingly positive" from everyone who came.

The service is run by Sarah herself though she said she has a backup of friends, colleagues and her husband, Paul Shilton, who worked for the NHS as a microbiologist, who can help if she becomes overwhelmed.

Sarah added: "I love doing it, it's my job.

"Obviously with NHS resources, it's much easier to do with official referrals and prescriptions, but I love it.

"I love helping the community and being able to provide that service and hopefully spot any problems before they develop into something more serious."

Sarah hopes to bring the pop-up to Oldham on a monthly basis and is in the process of raising money for key equipment such as an ECG machine, which checks the rhythm of the heart, as well as a cholesterol test and blood tests.

The next pop-up will take place on October 8 or 15.