Plans have been unveiled for a new urgent treatment centre in Smethwick, aimed at reducing A&E waiting times at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH). Set to open in summer 2025, the centre will assess patients and redirect non-emergency cases, helping to alleviate pressure on the hospital, which itself is now scheduled to open in October after a six-year delay. Initially focused on urgent care, the centre will later expand to treat minor injuries, accommodating 230-350 patients daily with around 40 staff. The hospital’s construction faced setbacks due to the collapse of Carillion in 2018 and the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Do you think the treatment centres will release the pressure on A&E and if so do we need more of them ?
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Given the planned opening of the new urgent treatment centre in Smethwick in 2025, how will the centre’s approach to patient assessment and redirection of non-emergency cases be implemented, and what measures will be taken to ensure it effectively alleviates pressure on the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital?
That sounds like a really positive step forward for healthcare in Smethwick! I’m curious, how do you think the new urgent treatment centre might change the overall patient experience in the area, especially for those who might have previously faced long waits in A&E?