Calls to rename Urgent Care Centre

Rochdale Infirmary

Councillors are calling for the Urgent Care Centre at Rochdale Infirmary to be renamed.

The centre, which opened in April this year following the closure of the full A&E department, deals with minor injury or illness. But concerns have been raised that the name is “misleading.”

In a report due before Full Council on Wednesday night, Councillor Linda Robinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Care and Housing, raises the issue.

The report mentions a visit to the UCC and one-to-one conversations with staff who work there.

It reads: “In their view and ours we believe that the word Urgent needs to be deleted from the title of the unit. Mr Jesky who also attended was aware of this.”

Councillor Robinson praised the staff and the centre and the service but described the name as “deceiving.”

Health Campaigner Councillor Jean Ashworth said: “I have always said it is not an Urgent Care Centre because they cannot treat anything urgent; anything urgent has to be shipped out and that is what is misleading a lot of people.

“All it is is a Walk in Centre, if people know they are going to a Walk in Centre I think they would be more confident about what they can be treated for.

“Nobody knows how urgent someone’s care is until they are in that position.”

Councillor Ashworth told Rochdale Online that the Trust once suggested that she run a competition to rename the centre.

The Leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Colin Lambert, said: “We think the name Urgent Care Centre is misleading and as part of building a hospital for the future we need to be clear about what services are provided at the Rochdale Infirmary and it is important that the title given to the service is clearly understood.

“Although this is a minor issue about the name, as part of an overall review of sustainable services for the future people need to know which services they can attend for – we need clarity.”

Councillor Lambert suggested that the Trust asks school children for naming suggestions.

A spokesperson for the Trust however said that the naming of the facility comes from the Department of Health.

The spokesperson, said: “The Urgent Care Centre at Rochdale Infirmary opened in April to replace the former A&E department as part of the Healthy Futures changes to health services across the north east of Greater Manchester.

“The new facility is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is run by experienced nurses, nurse practitioners and a GP.

“The UCC can treat non life-threatening walk-in and minor illness and injuries, which don’t require an A&E department, but can not wait for a GP or on-call doctor's appointment.

“We are very much governed by the Department of Health in terms of what we call our unscheduled services and why we have to call this facility an Urgent Care Centre.”