Healthwatch Enfield asks Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group to keep the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm open until 10pm

The Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group have recently proposed changing the closing time of the Chase Farm Hospital Urgent Care Centre, from 10pm to 9pm. 84% of the people we spoke to did not agree with the proposal.

Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have recently proposed changing the closing time of the Chase Farm Hospital Urgent Care Centre from 10pm to 9pm. This is because ‘the busiest hours at the UCC are 8am -12 noon. The last hour of service between 9-10pm is the quietest hour of the day.’.

At Healthwatch Enfield, it is our job to amplify voices of local people on key issues that affect them; over the last few weeks we collected over 370 items of feedback relating to the proposal to reduce the opening times of the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm Hospital.

In relation to closing the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm Hospital at 9:00pm instead of 10:00pm, 84% of local people, who provided feedback to Healthwatch Enfield, did not agree with the proposal.

Our research findings suggest that the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm Hospital is a valuable resource. Those we heard from, were concerned that the proposed changes:

  • will further reduce the provision of urgent care services in Enfield
  • will make accessing urgent care services in Enfield more difficult
  • will have an impact on A&E departments and the ambulance service

Informed by feedback from local people, Healthwatch Enfield have written to Enfield CCG, requesting that they maintain the current opening times of the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm Hospital.

Local people have told us that the opening hours of the Urgent Care Centre at Chase Farm should not be reduced. There is more work that needs to be done to provide more information about the Centre to local communities. We hope that Enfield CCG will take note of local people’s views when making its decision. We will be advocating for this through all available forums and meetings.

Patricia Mecinska, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Enfield

Find out more

Read the full report
Read the letter sent to Enfield CCG

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