Plans to relocate 'not fit for purpose' Skegness Urgent Treatment Centre to another site
Plans to relocate Skegness Urgent Treatment Centre to another town site have been announced.
The current facility has been described as “not fit for purpose” by United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals Trust (ULTH) – which announced the proposals today (Monday, August 10).
The plans would see the UTC move from its current location in Skegness Community Hospital, Dorothy Avenue, to the nearby Skegness Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) on Old Wainfleet Road.
This would allow the number of consultation rooms to double from five to 10, with a new treatment room, waiting room, mental health safe space and dedicated parking. Local urgent treatment services would continue to be available, at the same level and for the same hours, but would “offer improved patient flow and experience”.
UTCs treat urgent problems that are not life-threatening – such as sprains, suspected broken bones, cuts, rashes, stomach problems and fever.
“This move would bring new investment into local health services and provide an expanded and more modern UTC space that can better meet the needs of people in Skegness and surrounding areas, now and in the future,” a ULHT spokesperson said. "At the new CDC location, you will still be able to have all these types of services together with tests such as X‑rays or blood tests and get prescriptions, if needed.”
The project is supported financially by NHS England.
Outlining why they are considering the change, the ULHT spokesperson went on: “Demand for urgent and emergency care continues to evolve. The proposal would relocate the UTC into a purpose-built clinical environment. The current UTC is not fit-for-purpose.”
The CDC extension is said to offer “modern facilities that can support improved patient experience and staff working environments”. The proposal aims to ensure patients continue to receive “the right care, in the right place, at the right time”.
The spokesperson added: “The proposed model will retain the flexibility to respond to seasonal increases in demand, ensuring urgent care services remain accessible and responsive for both local residents and the significant number of visitors to the Skegness area throughout the year.”
ULHT is now calling for people to have their say on the proposals, by completing a short survey.
“Any feedback will help shape decisions about the future of the UTC service in Skegness and its proposed new location,” the spokesperson concluded.