West Cornwall Hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre extends hours in time for busiest summer weeks

From today, Monday 31 July, the Urgent Treatment Centre at West Cornwall Hospital will be open from 8am until midnight, seven days a week

The extended hours will be welcome news for people in the west of the county and are something the team at West Cornwall Hospital has been working hard to deliver since the Urgent Treatment Centre hours were temporarily reduced last summer.

West Cornwall Hospital’s General Manager, Paul Sylvester, said: “The recruitment environment has been tough, and we’re delighted we’ve now been able to appoint more nurses and emergency practitioners to our team, and also to secure locum doctor cover to enable us to open the urgent treatment centre until midnight every day.

“The extended hours come just in time for the busiest weeks of the summer holidays and mean we can provide more care close to home for people in West Cornwall, as well as helping to ease pressure on the main emergency department in Truro by seeing those with urgent by not life-threatening illness and injury.”

Between midnight and 8am, people with an urgent care need that can’t wait until the following day can continue to use 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or by phone for advice or access to an out-of-hours GP. In a life-threatening emergency, always dial 999.

RCHT Chief Executive, Steve Williamson, added: “The extended opening hours for the Urgent Treatment Centre come just two weeks after news the development of a new outpatient department for West Cornwall Hospital is to go ahead. It signals a clear commitment to the hospital and its role in providing acute care.

“West Cornwall Hospital sees more than 20,000 urgent care attendances, over 30,000 outpatient attendances each year, along with inpatient and day case care and is a key part of our plans for the future.  We are continuing to look at ways to return to a 24-hour urgent treatment centre, as well as broadening further the range of inpatient and outpatient services.”