A NEW 24-hour urgent care service will be available at Malton Hospital from next Wednesday.

The service, which will be provided by Northern Doctors Urgent Care, part of the Vocare Group, replaces the existing Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and has been developed over the last 18 months by NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) based on extensive consultation with local residents and clinicians.

Urgent care is for illnesses and injuries that need immediate attention, but are not life-threatening, and by redesigning the way it is provided, the CCG hopes to make it simpler for patients to know which health service to access for different needs and ultimately help them to access the right care, first time.

The urgent care service at Malton Hospital will be open from 9am to 8pm, seven days a week and patients are being encouraged to access the service by phoning 111 to make a same-day appointment if they require urgent care. Alternatively, patients can go directly to one of the centres and wait to be seen.

An on-call service will operate for patients who phone 111 between 8pm and 9am.

Dr Peter Billingsley, local GP and lead for urgent care at the CCG, said: “The opening of this new service is a significant milestone in our efforts to improve local health services for the benefit of local residents.

“About 3,000 people in the area access urgent care services each month and having one service that covers the whole of Scarborough and Ryedale will ensure that everyone has access to same quality of care, when they need it. It will also help to reduce pressure on emergency services by giving people a real alternative for getting minor injuries and illnesses treated rather than phoning 999 or going straight to the emergency department.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their views with us as part of the development of this service.”

John Harrison, chief executive of Northern Doctors, said: “We have spent the last four months preparing for this service to go live on April 1.

“We have developed solid relationships with Scarborough Hospital and other local healthcare providers, and will work together to continue to develop patient services over the coming months and years.”

District and county councillor Lindsay Burr, who launched a campaign in 2012 with the Gazette & Herald following a cut in opening hours at Malton MIU, said the changes were in line with the Government’s agenda.

“I am pleased that we campaigned to get the new service to be situated at Malton Hospital, but I am disappointed that the opening hours are not longer for residents of Ryedale and the existing staff are not entirely happy with the new working arrangements. I hope this will soon be resolved,” she said.

“I am sad that the company running the unit is a private company which is not what I want for our NHS and I will be monitoring the new service with eager eyes and only want the best for Ryedale residents.”

For more information, go to scarboroughryedaleccg.nhs.uk