Health bosses apologise after urgent treatment centre closed 18 times since April

Health bosses apologise after urgent treatment centre closed 18 times since April

Health bosses have apologised for multiple overnight closures at an urgent treatment centre (UTC) in Lincolnshire.

Louth County Hospital’s UTC has been shut on 18 occasions since April due to short-term staff sickness.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust said it had an ongoing recruitment programme.

Tracy Pilcher, from the trust, said Boston’s UTC had closed overnight on 16 occasions and on a further two instances it was shut between 4 am and 8 am.

Ms Pilcher said that the trust had to balance staffing at the centre in Louth with its other services due to a number short-term staff sicknesses.

She told the BBC closures were a “last option” and procedures were in place to offer care even when the unit was closed.

“While it is closed to walk-ins, we are still able to do clinical triage over the telephone,” she said.

If staff decided that a patient need to be seen fpr a face-to-face appointment then one was arranged at an alternative centre or via home visits.

“We are really sorry and we know it is distressing for residents when they are not able to access the service in the normal way,” she said.

In addition to staff sickness, the trust also faced issues around recruitment and said it was working to attract more staff.

“They are specially trained staff within our urgent treatment centres and it takes approximately two to three years for staff to go through the training.”

Victoria Atkins, Conservative MP for Louth and Horncastle, said she was “very concerned” to hear about the evening closures.

“I have followed this up with the local NHS and have asked for a meeting to discuss this urgently,” she said.