Newark Hospital’s urgent treatment centre will remain closed overnight for another 12 months as it cannot be safely staffed.
The centre was temporarily closed for overnight admissions in April 2020 due to pressures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The closure was then extended in 2021 and 2022, and it has now been extended again, Nottinghamshire County Council papers show.
The service will remain open during its current hours of 9am to 10pm, with last patient admissions at 9.30pm.
The Director of Integration at Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has written to the Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee to advise that the temporary closure is to be extended for a further 12-month period, to end of June 2024.
The letter written by Lucy Dadge, Director of Integration at the ICB, stated: “The ICB has not consulted the committee on this continuation of the temporary overnight closure because it is not possible to safely staff the Urgent Treatment Centre overnight and so there is no alternative to the continuation of the temporary closure.
“Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB and Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, in collaboration with other partners in our Integrated Care System, have been working together to develop an overarching vision and strategy for Newark Hospital that clearly articulates how the hospital and its services are sustained and can grow to meet the population health needs of its catchment area.
“We are keen to continue to work with you, and will engage in a conversation with the Health Scrutiny Committee at the appropriate time, once our strategic thinking has evolved.”
The decision will be discussed at the health scrutiny committee on June 20 where a senior representative from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) will attend the meeting to provide further information and answer questions.
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