Crawley urgent treatment centre to reduce hours

The NHS trust said cutting opening times would ensure safe staffing levels at Crawley UTC

An urgent treatment centre in West Sussex which is open around the clock is to temporarily reduce its opening hours to ensure it can operate safely.

The walk-in centre, based at Crawley Hospital, provides treatment for minor injuries and illnesses that are urgent but not life-threatening.

It is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, but from 20 May its opening hours will be 07:30 BST to 22:00.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) said the change would "ensure that safe staffing levels" can be maintained, adding the centre would continue to deliver a full range of services during the new hours.

The trust said most patients attended the centre between the proposed reduced opening hours.

It said in a statement: "Whilst arrangements have been in place to utilise temporary staffing, this is not providing adequate cover and is not sustainable

"Putting in place this pilot arrangement will allow us to reallocate overnight staff into the daytime when the unit sees the most patients."

It said it will be "continuously monitoring the number of patients attending the unit" and acknowledged the importance of urgent care centres as a care option for patients.

The centre supported 5,649 patients in February, according to the trust.

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