Hospital launches A&E lite

The local NHS trust has opened an Urgent Care Centre at Hertford County Hospital.

The new service treats minor injuries and ailments such as fractures, scalds and bleeding.

The centre is designed to treat around 65% of patients who would otherwise go to a typical A&E department.

Open from 8.00am to 8.00pm, seven days a week, the new urgent care centre is accessed on a walk-in basis. People do not need to have an appointment to use the service – they can just walk-in. If an ambulance has been called, the paramedics will assess the seriousness of the patient’s condition in order to decide if they need to be taken to A&E or the urgent care centre.

The scheme is being piloted for 12 months to gauge demand for the service.