Urgent care centre opens to ease hospital pressure

woman sat in chair with medical equipment on fingerImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The centre has been designed to ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place

At a glance

  • A new urgent care centre has opened in Slough

  • Walk-in care and pre-booked appointments are available for people with minor illnesses

  • It is hoped the facility will help ease pressure on hospital emergency departments

  • Published

A new facility that aims to ease pressure on hospitals has opened in a Berkshire town.

The urgent care centre in Priors Close, Slough, can provide same-day treatment for patients with minor illnesses.

Services are open 08:00 GMT to 20:00, seven days a week and the facility offers both walk-in care and pre-booked appointments.

It is hoped the centre will reduce the number of non-emergency patients coming through the emergency department at Wexham Park Hospital.

Anyone attending the hospital's emergency department with a minor illness could be redirected to the urgent care centre instead, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said.

Those registered with a GP practice in Slough can access and book ahead through their GP or by calling 111.

Patients will also be able to walk in and be given a booked appointment, and can then either sit and wait at the centre or return at the appointment time.

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