Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre

Healthwatch Halton is visiting both Urgent Treatment Centres in Halton as part of its planned public outreach and engagement across the borough. It carried out five visits to Runcorn UTC between 30 October 2023 and 23 November 2023. Each visit lasted between two and three hours and in total 113 people took the time to give their experience. Healthwatch Halton used a two-part questionnaire to gather views, with part one covering experiences prior to triage and treatment, and part to completed post-triage and discharge.

The feedback shows that the UTC service is generally well valued by the people using it. The service offers an excellent alternative for patients who may previously have gone to A&E. The service supports a steady stream of patients from Halton, and increasingly from neighbouring areas, that are unable to get suitable appointments at their own GP practices and see the UTC as a viable alternative for treatment.

The report makes four recommendations.

1. Ensure that the UTC continues to be promoted as an easily accessible alternative to A&E for all patients with urgent care needs.
2. Encourage the public to make more use of the NHS111 service when they have an urgent unexpected healthcare, as NHS111 can direct people to use a UTC rather than A&E where appropriate.
3. The Trust and commissioners should look at how patient feedback has been used to help make decisions about planning and improving services, possibly in the form of regular ‘You said, we did’ updates.
4. Review the suitability of the waiting area for families with very young children.