New £6m urgent treatment centre approved

A new £6m facility to reduce pressure on a city's accident and emergency department has taken a step forward.

University Hospital Southampton's (UHS) proposal for a new urgent treatment centre (UTC) was approved by the city council's planning officers.

The scheme involves an extension to the east wing annexe, which is next to the existing A&E entrance.

The facility will see patients from A&E who have minor illnesses or injuries, and UHS said it needed to be operational as soon as possible.

A UHS statement said: "This not only improves the experience of these patients and the timeliness of their treatment but will also enable the emergency department to function more effectively."

In mid-January the hospital warned patients they could face waits of up to 12 hours to be seen in the current emergency department, which it said was under "extreme pressure".

The NHS trust said the new centre would not create extra patient trips, but this was challenged by residents and a councillor who feared it would shift patient behaviour and increase traffic.

Council officers concluded any rise in visits would be small and partly balanced by fewer journeys to the existing city‑centre facility.

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