Reopening of the UTC

Healthwatch Solihull is pleased that the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Solihull Hospital has opened to replace the former Minor Injuries Unit (MIU). When we spoke to over 400 local people for our recent report ‘The experiences of Solihull residents who try to access urgent care’ people told us the most important things they wanted was a service that was nearby and where they could see a healthcare professional on the same day.

It’s really positive the UTC offers a walk-in, or booked appointment service (via NHS111) 8am-8pm, 7 days a week, and can provide advice and treatment for many common issues including suspected broken bones, sprains, cuts, stomach pains, rashes, minor burns and more. It’s also important that local people remember that the UTC cannottreat life-threatening emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes and major trauma; the public are advised to call 999 or attend their nearest accident and emergency department in these circumstances.

We hope the UTC will cater for a range of urgent care needs and significantly reduce the number of local people having to travel outside of Solihull for urgent care, which will in turn ease the pressure on other NHS services.

In a wider sense, the opening of the new UTC marks an important milestone in the recovery of local health and social care services following the Covid-19 pandemic. This is proof that good progress is being made, and we strongly encourage University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and the entire Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System to keep service users informed about, and involved in this journey, by listening to the views the public when developing services, to ensure that everyone can access the care they need when they need it.’

• Richard Burden, Chair, Healthwatch Solihull