TALKS are ongoing to transform the two urgent care centres in Halton into urgent treatment centres which will include reducing the operating hours.

NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is asking residents to take part in an online survey after plans were drawn up in line with national recommendations for the two centres which are based at Halton Hospital on Hospital Way and Widnes Healthcare Resource Centre on Caldwell Road .

This will allow residents to tell the CCG about how they use the current services.

The information will them be used to help the CCG as they develop further options for the health facilities which will then be subject to a public consultation.

Following on from the Urgent and Emergency Care Review 2013, it was concluded that services need to be ‘more responsive, personalised and be able to deliver better clinical outcomes for patients’.

The review included changing the name to urgent treatment centres ‘to better reflect the enhanced offer to patients’.

Nationally, a number of changes have also been outlined.

It is hoped the plans will pave the way for ‘a consistent route to access urgent appointments offered within two to four hours and booked through general practice, NHS 111, ambulance services and other services’.

A walk-in access option will also be retained.

Dr Sangeetha Steevart, GP and clinical lead for Urgent Care said: “It’s vital that we engage with our community to help us co-design the new model of urgent and emergency services in our town.

“Importantly, no changes to services will be made without the feedback from the people who use the services.

“That is why I am encouraging as many people as possible to read about what we’re wanting to do, based on national guidelines, and give their feedback to ensure that we have the right emergency care services available to provide the right treatment, at the right time, in the right place and provided by the right person.”

At the moment the urgent care centres are open from 7am to 10pm.

The requirement from NHS England is that these sites are open for a minimum of 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group is intending to follow this requirement and remain open for seven days a week, for a minimum of 12 hours a day.

The engagement work will run until December 12.

A formal public consultation will then follow on the model in early 2019

To have your say contact the communications and engagement Team on 01925 593479 or email engagement@haltonccg.nhs.uk.

You can complete the online survey by visiting surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HCCGUCC.