New £6m urgent treatment centre for city hospital

The urgent treatment centre will help tackle pressures at Southampton General Hospital and be co-located with the emergency department

A new £6m urgent treatment centre is to be developed at Southampton General Hospital to help tackle pressures on the emergency department.

The new facility will treat patients for minor illnesses and injuries.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) hopes this will allow the emergency department to focus on patients who need emergency and life-saving treatment.

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur said the investment would help ease the current demand within the emergency department.

Ms Kaur said: "Southampton General Hospital is one of the best in the country, and we're extremely lucky to have it and the incredible NHS professionals that work there.

"However, we all know that the A&E department has been struggling.

"There have been more people through its doors, resulting in extremely long waits.

"The government has been looking to tackle this issue head-on, not only by investing more in community health, like addressing the root causes and being able to get a GP appointment earlier, but also by supporting hospitals like ours in Southampton with their plans to build a new urgent treatment centre."

The Labour MP for Southampton Test, Satvir Kaur, says the A&E department at Southampton General Hospital has been struggling.

Urgent treatment centres provide urgent medical help for non-life-threatening conditions.

They are open at least 12 hours a day, with care provided for walk-in patients and those who have booked an appointment through NHS 111.

The urgent treatment centre at Southampton General Hospital would be co-located with the emergency department.

While the plans remain in an early phase, it is likely the provision will be open from 8am to 10pm and will be staffed by a range of medical professionals from the existing emergency department, supported by GP colleagues from primary care partners in the city.

It is hoped that it will open in spring next year, serving patients in the west of the city.

A UHS spokesperson said: "The intention is that the proposed urgent treatment centre will provide a more efficient pathway for adult patients with minor injuries and minor illnesses, enabling them to receive the care they need rapidly, but still in an appropriate setting.

"In turn this should alleviate pressure on the emergency department where the sickest patients, requiring emergency and life-saving treatment, will continue to be cared for."

The trust currently has urgent treatment centres at Royal South Hants Hospital, which is operated by Practice Plus Group, serving the east side of the city and at Lymington Hospital, operated by PHL Group, serving the New Forest.