Urgent Care Centre will replace A&E in April

Rochdale Infirmary

Rochdale’s new 24/7 Urgent Care Centre will open on Monday 4 April 2011 to replace the current A&E department and Walk-in centre at the Rochdale Infirmary.

It will provide treatment for people who have a minor injury or illness, or an urgent but less serious emergency that does not require 999.

The Urgent Care Centre will consist of a team of GPs, emergency and advanced nurse practitioners, fully qualified nursing staff, with support from a medical consultant and from other departments within the hospital such as blood testing and x-ray.

All emergency cases involving severe injury or illness, or those that require 999 emergency ambulances, such as patients suffering a heart attack or stroke, will be taken to neighbouring A&E departments at The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, North Manchester General Hospital in Crumpsall or another specialist hospital.

The Infirmary will also provide a new overnight and short stay Clinical Assessment Unit (CAU) for adults which will open at the same time as the Urgent Care Centre on 4 April 2011.

The new 12 bed unit (with six trolleys) will provide rapid patient assessment and treat patients who have been referred directly from their local GP, from the community, or come via the new Urgent Care Centre. Patients will be assessed, observed and treated on the CAU usually up to a maximum of 48 hours.

Dr Anton Sinniah, consultant physician and clinical director unscheduled care for Rochdale Infirmary, said: “From 4 April A&E services will no longer be provided at Rochdale Infirmary. This means the hospital will not be accepting emergency ambulances or treat people with severe injury or illness. However, the new Urgent Care Centre at the Infirmary will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide excellent services for those patients who present with minor injuries and illness, with only the most serious cases needing to go to neighbouring A&E departments or specialist hospital.”

Dr Lynn Hampson, Unscheduled Care lead from GPCARE, explained: “The centre will consist of a team of GPs and nurses who have the skills to treat approximately 85% of all current A&E attendances who would have previously been treated at the A&E department. If you have a serious injury or illness you should still call 999 where you will be taken to an A&E department or specialist health centre where appropriate.”

Dr Nick Dawes, Medical Director and Local GP for NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, said: “This new model of care at Rochdale Infirmary, incorporating a new urgent care centre and clinical assessment unit has been designed to provide an integrated approach to health care with a seamless service between primary, secondary and social care.”