With Christmas just around the corner do you know where to go if you or your family need urgent care over the festive period?
The urgent treatment centres (UTC) at Redcar Primary Care Hospital and Friarage Hospital are open throughout the festive period to help you and your loved ones with any injuries and illnesses that require urgent care but are not life-threatening.
Opening times
Redcar UTC is open 8am to 9.30pm, seven days a week.
Friarage UTC is open 24 hours, seven days a week.
The UTCs can treat adults and children for
Strains and sprains
Suspected broken limbs
Minor head injuries
Cuts and grazes
Bites and stings
Minor scalds and burns
Ear and throat infections
Skin infections and rashes
Eye problems
Coughs and colds
Feverish illness
Abdominal pain
They also treat children with minor illnesses such as fever, rashes and earache.
You don’t need an appointment to attend meaning you and your loved ones can just walk in, or you may be directed to the centres by NHS 111.
The UTCs will not be able to treat life-threatening injuries or illnesses such as
Severe chest pains
Unconsciousness
Severe breathing difficulties
Uncontrollable bleeding
David Pratt, senior general manager for the Friarage, said: “We all love a celebration but please enjoy yourself sensibly over the festive period.
“If you reduce your drinking, you reduce your risk of ill health and really help our NHS teams to focus on helping those people who need it the most.
As always, we hope you don’t need our help but if you find yourself needing urgent care for an injury or illness that isn’t life threatening, we’re still here for you."
Keeping A&E free for those who need it
As well as benefiting from shorter waiting times, those who attend the UTCs will be helping keep the emergency department at The James Cook University Hospital free for those who really need it.
Michael Souter, senior general manager for James Cook’s emergency department, added: “Our emergency department’s main priority is to treat people with the most serious, life-threatening conditions and it’s likely if you are not one of those, you will face a lengthy wait to be seen.”
Don’t forget if you are registered with a GP practice in Middlesbrough or Redcar and Cleveland they can book you an enhanced access appointment at a local STAR (South Tees Access Response) GP hub.
STAR also provides the area’s GP out of hours service which will be open over the festive period and can be accessed via 111 online or by calling 111.