A NEW urgent care centre, which is designed to keep non-critical cases from A&E, was officially opened at Ulster Hospital last week.

The new facility, which operates a walk-in service and is open seven days a week from 8am to 6pm, aims to improve the flow of unscheduled care services and patient experience at the hospital.

Patients can also make prior-arranged appointments for minor injuries between Monday and Friday using the Phone First service between 8am and 5pm, albeit it is not mandatory.

In attendance at the opening was Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to formally mark the occasion.

Said Mr Nesbitt: “I am delighted to open the urgent care centre. It is much needed and will serve the community greatly. The facilities are modern, first-class and will help to deliver the appropriate care to patients.”

He said that through the new centre’s integration with the emergency department, it will ‘reduce emergency department pressures’ and ‘optimise patient care’.

“It represents a significant capital and service development and advances my department’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Emergency and Urgent Care Review which highlighted the need to better integrate urgent and emergency care in Trusts, which this investment delivers,” he said.

The opening of the urgent care centre follows the transfer of minor injuries from the Bangor and Ards hospitals and the opening of a new emergency department at the Ulster Hospital in 2023, completing the hospital’s new build Acute Services Block.