Urgent care centres to ease A&E strain

Health chiefs are developing plans for ‘urgent treatment centres’ in east Kent in a bid to take pressure off over-stretched acute A&E departments.

The aim is to create a network of new services which would effectively replace and enhance what are currently known as minor injury units.

All of east Kent’s main hospital sites are expected to accommodate the new departments, which will be Gp-led and offer a wider range of services.

The Estuary View Medical Centre in Whitstable, already a minor injuries unit, could be one of the locations, but they may also include some of the smaller hospitals, like the Queen Victoria at Herne Bay and Faversham Cottage Hospital.

Exactly what will be offered and where is still be decided and the process is separate to that of the forthcoming consultation on acute services and the locations of A&E departments.

But health chiefs believe they are a vital part of the sustainability and transformation plan (STP) because many people seeking treatment in A&E could be treated elsewhere.

The urgent treatment centres will be open every day for at least 12 hours and equipped to diagnose and treat common ailments.

Managing director of east Kent Clinical Commissioning Groups, Caroline Selkirk, said: “We have already carried out public surveys and spoken to patient groups, local organisations, GPS and NHS staff about our plans to introduce urgent treatment centres.

“But before we finalise our plans, we want to give the public another opportunity to talk about them. We want to know what they think about the benefits of such a service or to raise any concerns they have about the proposals.”

A public meeting for residents to hear about and comment on the plans is being held at The Pavilion Suite at Canterbury Cricket Ground in Old Dover Road from 10am until 4pm on Tuesday, February 26.

The public can register by emailing nelcsu.engagement@ nhs.net or calling 03000 424348.

Anyone unable to attend can email comments to nelcsu. engagement@nhs.net.

The NHS plans to roll out around 150 urgent treatment centres nationwide by December.