New Urgent Treatment Centre set to welcome first patients next month

Northampton General Hospital’s new £15.75 million Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) is set to begin treating patients from 7 September, marking a major step forward in improving urgent and emergency care services for people across Northamptonshire.

The milestone was marked last week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by partners, contractors and NHS colleagues involved in delivering the project. HM Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson, joined guests to recognise the significant investment and the progress made towards bringing the facility into use.

The purpose-built building replaces the former Springfield Urgent Treatment Centre and sits alongside the hospital's Emergency Department as part of a new integrated urgent and emergency care hub. The investment has created a new front door for urgent and emergency care at NGH, bringing services together in a modern environment designed to help patients access the right care, in the right place, first time.

Once open, patients who attend the centre will be assessed on arrival and directed to the most appropriate care pathway, whether that is urgent treatment, emergency care or specialist paediatric services. The new model is designed to support faster assessment, clearer patient pathways and a more seamless experience for patients and their families.

Polly Grimmett, Director of Strategy at Northampton General Hospital, said:  “This investment represents an important step forward for healthcare in Northamptonshire and demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality care for the communities we serve.

“The new Urgent Treatment Centre provides modern facilities for patients and staff and supports our ambition to deliver excellent care in an environment designed around the needs of those who use it.

“As demand for NHS services continues to grow, investments such as this are vital to ensuring local people can access the care they need, when they need it, while supporting our staff to provide the best possible experience for patients.”

Services will move into the facility in phases over the coming weeks as final commissioning activities are completed. This phased approach will help ensure a safe and smooth transition for patients and staff while maintaining services throughout the move.

From 7 September, patients attending urgent and emergency care services at Northampton General Hospital should follow the signage to the new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) building. Once the final highways and access works have been completed, the new UTC building will become the main access point for urgent and emergency care services. Patients will be assessed on arrival and directed to the most appropriate care pathway for their needs.

In response to patient feedback, a number of disabled parking spaces and 15-minute drop-off bays will be available outside of the new building to improve accessibility and convenience. Please note that the drop-off bays are for short-stay use only. Vehicles must be moved after the patient has been dropped off to ensure spaces remain available for others arriving for urgent and emergency care.

Thank you for your support as we prepare to open this important new facility and improve the experience of patients accessing urgent and emergency care.

NHS 111 remains the best first point of contact

The opening of the new facility will not change how patients should access urgent care services.

People with an urgent healthcare need that is not life-threatening are encouraged to use NHS 111 online or call 111 before travelling to hospital. NHS 111 can assess symptoms and direct patients to the most appropriate service, including self-care, community pharmacy, GP services, urgent treatment centres or the Emergency Department where necessary.

By contacting NHS 111 first, patients can receive expert advice and be directed to the service best placed to meet their needs, helping them access care more quickly and appropriately.