Violence blamed for Urgent Treatment Centre move

The centre moved to Erdington in June

Threats to staff and gang-related conflict have forced the NHS to move an urgent treatment centre (UTC) to somewhere safer, health chiefs say.

The UTC was originally based in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham, but following concerns about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the roof, it moved in June to High Street in Erdington.

A recent report said there were growing safety concerns "regarding an increase in anti-social behaviour, violence and other serious criminal activity" at the new site.

It will now move a second time, to Good Hope Hospital in neighbouring Sutton Coldfield.

The report, seen by Birmingham city councillors, said there had been a danger the facility might have been forced to close without notice, "if future incidents present imminent danger".

At a health scrutiny meeting this week, Erdington councillor Gareth Moore said the announcement "came out of the blue".

He also said he was aware of the problems in the area, including a number of serious incidents, but he added: "There is a lot of work ongoing to try and tackle that."

The Erdington MP, Paulette Hamilton, said she "objected in the strongest possible terms" to the change.

She said local politicians should have been involved in the decision and suggested "alternative options in Erdington were explored".

But Faith Button, chief delivery officer at NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care, said: "We have taken legal advice on this, we have got a duty of care – not only to our population but to our staff.

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

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