Centre saves 600 patients trek

More than 600 patients a year are being spared a trip to A&E at Worcester since the opening of a new urgent care centre in Kidderminster, it has emerged.

The minor injuries unit at Kidderminster Hospital was upgraded to serve as a care centre last September to provide more health services for patients.

The move has meant there is now a doctor on duty to enable more people to be treated who have previously had to travel to Worcester for treatment.

Shadow minster for health Andrew Lansley visited the hospital yesterday and pledged his support for extending GP services at the site, including 24-hour cover.

Latest figures show that now an average of only five people a week are being sent to Worcester compared with around 17 before the centre had a doctor.

This means around 624 people each year are spared the 30-mile round trip to Worcester.

The urgent care centre has seen the numbers of patients attending jump from around 70 a day, to 96 last Monday.

The service is still currently on trial with a review expected shortly before it runs out in October.

Currently to keep a doctor on site it costs around £45,000 a year.

Mr Lansley said that he first visited Kidderminster around two years ago and was pleased to see there was a doctor now on site.

He said he hoped when doctors could commission more of their own services the site could include more for patients.

He said: "To have a full A and E you would need to able to admit patients which you can't do in Kidderminster you would also need Intensive Therapy Unit and imaging and services like that.

"However I would like to see a 24-7 service on the site which would integrate GP services together with those of the hospital."