Nottinghamshire Health Scrutiny Committee and NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board defend decision not to attend Newark Labour’s public meeting on Newark Hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre

Health bosses have defended their decision not to attend a meeting regarding the future of Newark hospital’s urgent treatment centre (UTC).

On Saturday March 8, Newark Labour held a public meeting at the Holy Trinity Community Centre to discuss the return of 24-hour care to Newark’s urgent treatment centre.

The Urgent Treatment Centre’s overnight opening hours were reduced in April 2020 due to pressures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opening hours of the UTC were extended for patients between 8am and 10.30pm, seven days a week in March last year, but a return for a 24-hour service was ruled out due to low patient numbers and staffing issues.

Representatives from the Integrated Care Board and the chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee, Roger Jackson, were invited to attend the meeting, but did not do so.

Mr Jackson defended the decision, saying that people could “draw their own conclusions on why Newark Labour held a public meeting on this two months before the local government elections”.

“For our part we are monitoring and discussing this matter through the proper channels and in the proper place, listening to the views of residents all the time,” he said.

“Matters relating to Newark Hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre feature regularly on the agenda of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee.

“These have recently included discussions that resulted in an extension of opening hours at the Centre in the day, and a further analysis just last month of the implementation and effect of those new opening hours to date.

He added that residents can attend any Health Scrutiny Committee meeting, and share their views to committee members ahead of these.

A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB said: “Newark Hospital continues to be an important and vital part of the health and care landscape in Newark.

“The NHS listened extensively to Newark residents in the autumn of 2023, hearing from over 2000 people, as well as receiving recommendations from an expert panel of doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals. The decision following that listening exercise increased the opening hours of the UTC from 8am to 10.30pm seven days a week.

“Those extended hours have been in place since November 2024 and the ICB will assess the impact of the extended operating hours through monitoring usage and reviewing patient feedback on an ongoing basis.”

When asked by the Advertiser for a specific reason why the ICB did not attend the meeting, no response was forthcoming.

“The Hospital has already benefited from a considerable expansion of services offered in recent years, including a £5.6m investment in new operating theatres and we expect this ongoing development to continue to bring in a wider range of services to the people of Newark,” the spokesman added.

“The Urgent Treatment Centre forms an important part of the range of services offered at the Hospital and we are committed to its success.”

Advice on an urgent illness and guidance on which service would be best can always be accessed via NHS 111: either online via https://111.nhs.uk/ or by dialling 111 from any phone. NHS 111 can arrange for an out-of-hours (including overnight) GP appointment, including home visits, should that be clinically necessary.”