IT WAS good to hear such a positive report from the reader who visited Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, when her 16-month-old son cut his head (Emergency Made Me Appreciate Hospital, News Shopper, September 10).
This is typically the sort of injury which is dealt with by the urgent care centre, just next door to A&E.
The urgent care centre deals with a range of urgent — but not life-threatening — conditions just like cuts and bruises.
It is fully staffed by nurses and GPs who can treat a range of injuries and illnesses.
Patients who need stitches or an X-ray can also be treated at the urgent care centre.
The centre is currently open seven days a week from 9am to 11pm and we are looking at extending this service to 24 hours in the future.
No appointment is required — just like A&E, patients can walk in and ask to be seen by one of the nurses or doctors during opening hours.
Just as in this case, most of our patients are seen, treated and on their way back home in an hour.
Since opening last year, the urgent care centre has proved to be a valuable service — it’s local, quick and provides suitable care.
Bexley Care Trust is committed to keeping it this way and expanding the service in the future.
DAVID PARKINS, joint chairman, professional executive committee, Bexley Care Trust
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