Politicians hit out at urgent care centre move

Robert Alden, Conservative councillor for Erdington, said the NHS should be engaging with the police and locals

Birmingham politicians have hit out at plans to move an urgent care medical centre over safety concerns.

North Birmingham Urgent Centre (UTC) is being forced to move from its temporary home in Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre (EHWBC) to a new centre in Sutton Coldfield.

The move comes after a report highlighted issues with violence and gang-related activity surrounding the site.

Conservative councillor for Erdington Robert Alden voiced his anger that more effort was not made to keep the centre in the area, with the move also being opposed by the area's Labour MP.

The current care centre was originally forced to relocate to Erdington after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found at its former site in Kingstanding.

However, a new NHS report has raised concerns over the safety of its new home after staff members were threatened and police received reports of gang-related conflict near the facility.

The centre is now due to move to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.

"Due to the extent and seriousness of the incidents in the vicinity of EHWBC […] remaining on site brings potential risk of having to close the site without notice if future incidents present imminent danger," the report said.

Mr Alden said the NHS should be engaging with the police and locals to try and keep the facility in the area.

"It's really important to have urgent care centres like this one here in Erdington high street because they help alleviate the pressures on A&E and doctors' surgeries," he said.

"Being here in the heart of the community, on the high street, it's a place that's easy for people to get to – they should absolutely be keeping it here."

Paulette Hamilton said she objected to the move in the "strongest possible terms"

Labour's MP for Erdington, Paulette Hamilton, also said she "objected in the strongest possible terms" to the emergency move in a letter which was read out during a recent council meeting.

Faith Button, chief delivery officer at the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care, acknowledged engagement on this issue had "broken down" during the meeting.

She said: "People are now no longer coming, so we have taxpayers paying for a UTC which is not being used.

"It [anti-social behaviour] is getting so severe, our legal advice is we need to trigger this move before something happens."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.