East & North Herts CCG – have your say on proposed changes to Urgent Care Centre opening hours

News - 17 July 2019

East and North Hertfordshire CCG is talking to the public, NHS staff and stakeholders about its proposal to close the Urgent Care Centre at the New QEII Hospital overnight.
A man standing in a hospital reception area

Press Release from East and North Herts CCG

The Urgent Care Centre is well used during the day but less than one person an hour uses the service between 10pm and 6am. Of these, most people (86%) leave without the need for further investigation and require no treatment.

The CCG is proposing that the UCC shuts its door to patients at 10pm each night, with the two senior nurses working there finishing their patients then coming up to work at the busy Lister emergency department overnight.

The Trust is supportive of this proposal as it would enable highly trained individuals to use their skills at the times when most patients require them.

If a decision is made to change the UCC opening hours, NHS 111 would still book overnight appointments with a GP in Welwyn Garden City for people who needed one.

Update December 2020

Engagement period closed and decision made.  For more information on the outcome click here 

You might also be interested in

Several different coloured quotation marks overlaid

Our Strategy: 2024 - 2028

The Healthwatch Hertfordshire Board has recently signed off the strategy for the next 5 years. This follows a review of the previous strategy and reinforces our strategic objectives for the coming years.
Report