Workshops will help inform future of rural NHS Urgent Care Centre

A new round of workshops starts tonight that will help inform proposals for how the NHS Future Fit programme reshapes NHS services in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

The workshops are looking specifically at the development of rural Urgent Care Centres – a key component of NHS Future Fit.

Tonight’s workshop will be held in Bishops Castle. Others will take place over the next month in Whitchurch, Ludlow, Bridgnorth and Oswestry. It follows a previous round of workshops held in the same locations earlier in the summer.

Dr Bill Gowans, Vice Chair for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “Making sure that communities in rural areas are catered for is crucially important for NHS Future Fit. The workshops will be attended by members of the public and local medical professionals including GPs, and they will build on the work we have already done.

“We are currently exploring the most appropriate rural urgent care solutions with local communities and considering current facilities and services. All existing Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) and Bishops Castle Community hospital will be considered as potential sites for Urgent Care Centres.”

David Evans, Chief Officer of Telford and Wrekin CCG and Dr Caron Morton, Accountable Officer for Shropshire CCG said: “The original round of workshops provided valuable information on how people currently use, and would like to be able to access urgent care in rural communities, and this latest round will build upon that.”

Urgent Care Centres would be open for longer than MIU’s, with extra facilities and overnight beds for people who need help urgently but whose condition isn’t life threatening. They will be networked to the Emergency Centre which forms another key component of the NHS Future Fit clinical model.

It is already proposed that there will be an urgent care centre in both Telford and Shrewsbury.

*

The workshops are not public events. Attendance includes patient representatives and local clinicians. Anyone wanting to share their views should contact their local Healthwatch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and for further information can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.