£33m urgent care overhaul for Birmingham and Solihull with seven treatment centres open every day

Urgent care across Birmingham and Solihull is getting a £33 million overhaul, with seven urgent treatment centres open seven days a week, new specialist services in east and west Birmingham, and improved access to a GP when surgeries are closed.

NHS Birmingham and Solihull approved the investment after a two-year review of urgent treatment centres (UTCs) and GP out-of-hours services, including a ten-week public consultation earlier this year, Birmingham Live reported.

Seven UTCs, 12 hours a day

Under the new model, all seven UTCs will open seven days a week, for at least 12 hours a day, treating minor illnesses and injuries in patients of all ages, including children. They will be:

Four new hospital-based UTCs at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. A new purpose-built facility at Good Hope will become the permanent home of the North Birmingham UTC, previously at Warren Farm.

Three existing community UTCs improved to meet national NHS standards: Solihull UTC at Solihull Hospital, Erdington UTC at Stockland Green Primary Care Centre and South Birmingham UTC at Katie Road, Selly Oak.

Patients will be able to walk in or book through NHS 111, and ambulance crews will be able to take patients straight to a UTC where appropriate. Every centre will offer basic diagnostic tests, have access to patient records and provide clear routes to further care.

Specialist care closer to home

New local urgent care services will open at Summerfield Primary Care Centre and Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, replacing the existing UTCs there with services tailored to local needs. Summerfield will provide respiratory and diabetes services, and Washwood Heath a rapid-access heart failure service. These will be reached through referrals from health professionals, helping patients get treatment nearer home without a hospital visit.

GP out-of-hours services will also be redesigned, with access through NHS 111 and a mix of remote consultations, face-to-face appointments and home visits, depending on patients' needs.

Freeing A&E for emergencies

The four hospital-based UTCs are designed to make sure patients with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions go to the right service, so that A&E departments can focus on emergencies.

David Melbourne, chief executive of NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country, said: "This is about much more than changing how services are organised. We are making significant investment in urgent care to deliver meaningful improvements to the services patients rely on."

"Our focus now is on working closely with NHS partners to turn these plans into reality, keeping patients and communities informed as changes are introduced and ensuring the improvements deliver a better experience of care."

When it happens

The changes will be introduced in phases, with the full model expected to be in place by April 2028. Until then, existing services continue, and anyone unsure where to go with an urgent problem should use NHS 111 online or call 111. In an emergency, always call 999.