Urgent Care Centres at RSH and PRH to temporarily relocate

Urgent Care Centres (UCCs) at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) are to temporarily relocate to the Minor Injury Units (MIUs) in Whitchurch and Bridgnorth to form two Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs).

The move comes as the NHS faces an unprecedented situation regarding Coronavirus pandemic. Health services in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin are taking measures to provide the safest care and best possible experience for patients during this time.

The Emergency Departments at PRH and RSH remain open and fully operational 24-hours-a-day, with the changes to the Minor Injury Units being made to free up capacity to support those with more serious illnesses and injuries who need the level of care offered at hospital.

People with major injuries and illnesses, such as head injuries and breathing difficulties should still attend A&E. The two new UTCs will provide treatment for patients where their care needs are urgent, but non-life threatening.

In Bridgnorth, the UTC will be open from 9am to 9pm, seven-days-a-week and be staffed by a rota of GPs and doctors and nurses from SaTH. There will be a GP-led service for minor illnesses and injuries including minor cuts, dislocations and back pain. An enhanced service will also be offered in Whitchurch, with opening hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The county’s other two MIUs, at Ludlow and Oswestry, remain open for minor injuries and illnesses. The opening hours of these units can be found at www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/miu. The two MIUs and the new look UTCs at Bridgnorth and Whitchurch offer a walk-in service and do not require appointments or referral.

Dr Arne Rose, Medical Director at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs RSH and PRH, said: “The safety and wellbeing of all of our patients is our priority. These temporary changes will make sure we are looking after patients who need our care for urgent but non-life threatening situations, minor injuries and illnesses, and also those that need more specialist care in our A&E departments.

“We know some patients have expressed concern about taking up the time of our doctors and nurses in our hospitals at this difficult time and we are very grateful for their support. It is very important that people continue to access urgent care when they need it and we hope the availability of the Urgent Treatment Centres encourage them to do so.”

Jane Povey, Medical Director at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, said: “We would like to thank people in advance for their understanding and reassure them that these changes are temporary. They are being managed in a planned way with the best interests of local people and our staff in mind.”

Anyone requiring medical assistance outside of the opening hours of the two UTCs and two MIUs should call NHS 111 and in an emergency, 999.

Among other measures taken by SaTH to help reduce the spread of coronavirus are the suspension of visiting at both hospitals and a restriction in the number of entrances open to the public at the two hospitals.