Updated 16 July 2019
Central Middlesex Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre serves the Brent and surrounding areas in North West London. The service is located at the Central Middlesex Hospital. There is no ‘accident and emergency’ service at the hospital, therefore the service works with other acute NHS trusts when patients require transfer to other emergency departments or specialist care.
Central Middlesex Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
The urgent treatment centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week including public holidays. Patients can attend on a walk-in basis, self-present or they may be referred to the service, for example by the NHS 111 or their own GP. The local ambulance service London Ambulance Service (LAS) transports some patients directly into the urgent treatment centre.
All patients are assessed through a process known as ‘streaming’ on entry by Emergency Nurse Practitioners. Patients with minor illnesses or minor injuries are streamed into the urgent care centre and more seriously unwell patients are streamed and sent off to the nearest the A&E departments. Clinical staff can also refer patients directly to other specialties within the trust and other hospitals, alternatively patients may be directed to another service if appropriate, such as the patient’s own GP. The clinical staff streaming patients work with the patient champion to redirect patients whose needs are not urgent, for example to, GP practices, pharmacies or dentists.
The urgent treatment centre is led by a service manager and a lead GP who has oversight of the urgent treatment centre. The urgent treatment centre is staffed by GPs, Emergency Nurses/ Care Practitioners (ENPS and ECPs) Lead Nurse as well as service manager and Lead GP. The service has access to a large number of internal bank staff provided by Greenbrook when needed. Greenbrook Healthcare operates a centralised governance system. The provider’s medical director and central team provide additional clinical and managerial support and oversight.