Critics fear care levels may be compromised

Casualty Plus in Brentford will treat walk-in patients with illnesses and injuries between 0700 BST to 2300 BST every day.

Cost for treatment starts at a �29 fixed fee for an initial consultation.

Those behind the �5m unit say it will offer more choice for those prepared to pay to avoid long queues in Accident and Emergency (A&E) wards.

What we really need in London rather than these privatised units is more investment in NHS facilities Geoff Martin, health campaigner

But critics say it will end up poaching staff from the NHS and offering an inferior, limited service.

Casualty Plus clinical director Dr Johan de Plessis said: "We are not in competition with any part of the NHS.

"We understand the pressure that GPs and hospitals are under and we aim to complement the services they provide."

He added it would be staffed by people with "extensive A&E experience".

More centres planned

But Geoff Martin, from campaigning group London Health Emergenc, criticised the idea behind Casualty Plus.

He said: "What we really need in London rather than these privatised units is more investment in NHS facilities so people get through A&E departments quicker and get the sort of quality of care that we would all like to see."

A Department of Health survey published in July found 6% of hospital patients waited at least 12 hours in A&E on a trolley or a chair.