Report: Boston Mayor has 'no intention' of blocking retail clinics

BOSTON — Could retail-based health clinics be coming soon to Boston?



While it appears that there are no definite plans in the works, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh reportedly said that he has no intention of blocking the clinics from coming to Boston, the Boston Herald reported.



“As of right now, he has no intention of blocking these coming to Boston, but there’s groundwork that needs to take place,” Walsh spokeswoman Kate Norton was quoted as saying. “Convenient care clinics can provide valuable consumer service for small medical issues, but there is a real concern about the same continuity of care that an individual may receive from a neighborhood health center or from a primary care physician.”



Walsh’s position on clinics is a departure from that of former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who objected to clinics entering the city of Boston, claiming that such clinics “jeopardize patient safety.”