What do people think of the new Newark urgent treatment centre opening hours after final decision made by NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board

In its weekly voxpop, the Advertiser found out people’s opinions on the newly approved opening hours at Newark Hospital’s urgent treatment centre.

This week, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board approved new permanent opening hours, saying that the move will provide sustainable, high-quality urgent care in Newark.

The urgent treatment centre will open from 8am to 10.30pm, seven days a week, offering an extended window for patients to access essential healthcare services, whilst currently operating from 9am to 10pm.

People’s opinions varied as some supported the new hours and effort to extend them beyond the 12-hour minimum national standard for urgent treatment centre set by NHS England, however, some continued to support that it needs to be open overnight.

“To be quite honest, I know we are at an age where supermarkets are open 24 hours a day but I think these sorts of things have to reflect what people want nowadays,” said Paul Taylor.

He added: “The longer these sorts of places are open the better because sometimes it keeps the queues down because people are trying to go all at the same time and also people’s working hours.

“So I think it is a good idea, the longer it is open, the next step will be to extend it even more or even open all day once a week.

“It will come eventually.”

Jenniffer Stacey said: “I think it is quite a good extension and it is a very hospital.

“It is better than going all the way to Kings Mill but I go to bed early and don’t go out and about.”

The centre at Newark Hospital, run by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, provides urgent care and non-life-threatening treatment for injuries or conditions, such as cuts, simple broken bones, wounds, minor burns and minor head, eye and back injuries.

Although the hours have been extended from 10pm to 10.30pm, last patient admissions will remain at 9.30pm — the purpose of this extension is to allow more time for staff to finish caring for patients at the end of the day.

Denise Nowels said: “I think that is good. Last year I had an accident and that night my daughter took me to Newark Hospital, they closed at 10pm so I had to go all the way to Kings Mill.

“I sounds like it is a good improvement. It is wrong to have to go all the way to Queens Medical or Kings Mill, when you are not well you can’t always cope with it.

Tony Robinson said: “I think it is brilliant, I live in Grantham so it doesn’t affect me that much but I think it is brilliant for the people of Newark.

“Every little bit helps.”

Allison Baker said: “I think it is fine, if you put it overnight then you probably need A&E and they can’t deal with problems like that so people will still need to go to Kings Mill so I am quite happy with the new hours.”