Medical Matters: How to get the right urgent care without a trip to A&E

Dr Ruth Bath, clinical lead at Newton Abbot Urgent Treatment Centre, talks about what conditions our minor injuries units and urgent treatment centres can provide support with and why it is so important to choose the right service when you need help.

Urgent treatment centres (UTC) and minor injuries units (MIU) provide medical care and help for when somebody needs to be seen the same day for an urgent problem, which can’t wait, but is not a life-threatening emergency. They can help with many of
the problems people often go to an Emergency Department (ED) for.

Choosing the right service when help is needed is so important for services across the healthcare system to manage the demands they experience.

The units can provide care and treatment for a range of minor injuries and illnesses. This includes wounds, (cuts, lacerations and grazes), burns and scalds, sprains and strains, broken bones, bites and stings, low risk head injuries (no blood thinners or
loss of consciousness) and eye problems, and minor illnesses including throat, ear and eye infections.

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The units are run by a team of highly qualified nurse and paramedic practitioners who have experience and expertise in treating minor injuries.

Our services, however, aren’t suitable for all patients. We often see people who should have contacted their GP, visited a pharmacy or self-cared at home. This includes headaches, male water infections (UTIs), routine wound care and chronic
disease management or longstanding illness. If an infection has not responded to a course of antibiotics, the urgent treatment centre or minor injuries unit will not be able to offer alternative treatment.

We would encourage patients to try and contact their GP practice in the first instance. While we are aware GPs are under enormous pressure this remains important, especially if the issue is an ongoing health problem or concern.

We unfortunately see many people needing wounds redressed. This isn’t a service our units routinely offer because it often requires specialised dressings that our units don’t stock. As part of a treatment plan, the clinician would have advised on the
appropriate place to get wounds redressed.

We don’t x-ray chests, backs, hips/femurs or faces, and we don’t carry out bloods for investigations. Any patient presenting with these problems may be asked to attend elsewhere.

Other conditions that we often see that should have gone straight to an ED include chest pain and heart problems, stroke symptoms, major trauma injuries, drug overdoses, gynaecology and pregnancy related problems, and severe abdominal
pain.

Our unit teams don’t include emergency doctors. If we think there is a life- threatening or urgent medical condition, we may direct the patient to our ED at Torbay Hospital.

In Torbay and South Devon, we have two MIUs at Totnes and Dawlish community hospitals. Both have appointment-priority services in place, where people can phone ahead for an arrival time, with walk-ins still supported but pre-booked people
prioritised. These units have limited x-ray facilities and while we are happy to assess, we may redirect to another unit to undertake x-rays if required.

We have a UTC at Newton Abbot Community Hospital which is a more expansive service that has extended operating hours and only supports walk-in patients or those referred directly by 111. X-ray is available at the UTC from 9-5 daily, excluding
Christmas Day.

Please visit our website for more information on our units and what they can help with.

If you need help but you’re not sure where to go, please call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk who can signpost you to the most appropriate service. This could be self-care, pharmacy, GP, UTC or MIU, or emergency department.