Have your say on Newark Hospital’s urgent treatment centre opening hours

Residents in Newark are being encouraged to have their say about the opening hours of the urgent treatment centre (UTC) at Newark Hospital and share their experience of accessing NHS urgent care services overnight.

NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board is hosting five public engagement events between 19 September and 14 October to discuss the best permanent opening hours for the UTC. Residents can also feedback by completing an online survey.

The UTC, run by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, provides urgent care and non-life-threatening treatment for injuries or conditions, such as cuts, simple broken bones, wounds, minor burns and minor head, eye and back injuries. 

The UTC is open for 13 hours a day, between 9am to 10pm, slightly exceeding the national standard of 12 hours per day.

The current opening hours were put in place in March 2020 as a temporary measure to address ongoing staffing issues made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to the pandemic, the UTC was often closed overnight at short notice due to lack of staff availability. Typically, when the UTC was open overnight, it would treat, on average, one patient per hour, in contrast to between 4-6 patients per hour during the daytime.

Local health leaders are committed to a safe, sustainable urgent treatment centre at Newark Hospital, operating at least 12 hours per day, which is in line with the specification for urgent treatment centres across England.

Speaking on the future of the UTC, Dr David Briggs, Medical Director of NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, said:

“We’re committed to providing high quality sustainable services to the Newark population and supporting Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s vision that Newark Hospital is a valued and vibrant community asset.

“So, we want to hear from the people who matter the most – those who live and work in the Newark area. Come along to one of the public engagement events or complete our online survey.

“Our aim is to provide modern health services that meet people’s changing needs for years to come.”

If you live, work or visit the Newark area, you can get involved by completing the survey or attending one of the public events below.

• Tuesday 19 September, 2:30pm- 3:30pm, at Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre, Boundary Road, Newark, NG24 4AU
• Tuesday 26 September, 10am- 11am, at Farndon Village Hall, Farndon Memorial Hall, Marsh Lane, Farndon, Newark, NG24 3SZ
• Wednesday 4 October 2023, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, Online Session via MS Teams Live Event
• Thursday 12 October 2023 – 11am to 12noon, North Muskham Community Centre, Nelson Lane, Newark, NG23 6HL (British Sign Language Interpreter available)
• Saturday 14 October 2023 – 10am to 11am, Online Session via MS Teams Live Event

To attend any of the public events listed above, please register here.