Redesignation of Berwick's Minor Injuries Unit 'not a downgrade'
The Minor Injuries Units at Berwick and Alnwick Infirmaries are to be redesignated as Urgent Treatment Centres from next month.
It means patients will be able to book pre-arranged appointments for things like suspected broken bones, burns and bites using the NHS 111 service.
But health chiefs insist it's not a downgrade.
Dr Julian Coffey, head of the urgent treatment centre service at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While our urgent treatment centres are GP and nurse practitioner led services, technology enables our teams to connect quickly with other specialists when needed."
Work on a new £35 million hospital in Berwick, next to the current Infirmary building, is ongoing.
But a completion date for the project has yet to be confirmed.
Dr Coffey said: "We are constantly looking at ways to improve patient care and the new hospital in Berwick will certainly create a much improved environment to people to access care and for our staff."
The latest changes are part of a national directive from NHS England to introduce more UTCs across the country and standardise where people access care.
It comes just days after the Labour government at Westminster announced plans to abolish the arms-length organisation, in an effort to "cut bureaucracy" and reform how the National Health Service is run.
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The MIUs in Berwick and Alnwick already offer services similar to other UTCs in North Tyneside and Northumberland, and treat patients with minor injuries, illnesses and infections. There are radiology (x-ray) services located on both sites.
A walk-in service will still be available, and the opening hours will "currently" remain the same on each site.
Dr Coffey added: “The benefit for patients going forward is they will be able to book a planned appointment to be seen at Berwick and Alnwick urgent treatment centres via NHS 111.
"This means that our patients can attend a pre-arranged appointment which is more convenient and will mean people don’t have to wait very long to be seen."
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