Urgent treatment centre at West Cornwall Hospital closed every night this week
Bosses insist the move is temporary and not about saving money
Last updated 10th Aug 2022
West Cornwall Hospital bosses say a combination of sickness, annual leave and vacancies means they are having to close its urgent treatment centre overnight.
The site at Penzance will be shut every night this week, despite best efforts to keep it open 24hrs a day.
Officials insist it is not about saving money and added they are doing everything they can to bolster the team and recruit.
The West Cornwall Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre will be closed between 8pm and 8am from Monday 8th August to Sunday 14th August.
The Urgent Treatment Centre is doctor-led from 9am to 8pm and run by emergency nurse practitioners from 8pm to 9am. X-ray facilities are available from 9am to 11pm daily.
"Not about saving money"
Clinical lead for West Cornwall Hospital, Dr Neil Davidson said: "Our team has been working extraordinarily hard to keep the urgent treatment centre open 24 hours a day. We are small team and a combination of sickness, much-needed annual leave and vacancies has made it increasingly hard to maintain the overnight service, despite everyone taking on as many extra shifts as they can.
"These temporary overnight closures are not about saving money and we are doing everything we can to bolster the team and recruit to vacant posts.
"West Cornwall is a wonderful place to live, and largely more affordable than many parts of the county.
"This might be a great opportunity for experienced nurses or GPs here on holiday who might be looking for a change of lifestyle – give us a call, we’d love to hear from you!"
To find out more about job roles at West Cornwall Hospital, contact Shirley Harris, Matron at shirley.harris3@nhs.net.
Anyone needing urgent care overnight can go online or call 111 and the team will direct them to the nearest and most appropriate service, including the out of hours GP, if needed. In a life-threatening situation always call 999.