‘Don’t let it close!’ Your views on changes at Buxton’s Urgent Treatment Centre
Residents of Buxton and the High Peak have been speaking out against the new appointment system which has been brought in at the Urgent Treatment Centre at Buxton Hospital.
From August 24 the hospital on London Road, which is managed by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, changed how the centre will work.
It will still remain open seven days a week 8am to 8pm but from 4pm it will be by appointment only which must be made via calling the NHS non-emergency number on 111.
Buxton Advertiser readers had a lot to say on this including Joanne Hibbert.
She said: “Buxton’s minor injuries should be available for help after the GPs have closed and especially at the weekend.
“It seems to me that they are wanting to close all minor injuries and outpatients appointments in Buxton. Stepping Hill is an awful journey, at least 40 minutes to get there, expensive to park and very long waiting times in A&E. “We need to progress with better care, not reduce the facilities.
“There were plans for a Health Hub - the land is available, just not the funds for the building. Buxton deserves much better.”
Cathy Cowburn said: “The demand for the cottage hospital is there. Now the place needs staffing and refurbishment. Don’t let it close!”
Molly May Marshall said it was ridiculous the amount Buxton was losing and that it should be left open.
Michelle Riley shared her views and said: “All this social media hype to get people to move to Buxton, but what's the point when we don't have anything' oh yes we have some hills and green fields to walk plenty of bars and coffee shops, charity shops, eateries shops that locals not interested in.
“No dentists, doctors appointments are a waiting game.
“We don’t even have a proper hospital? The one we have is limited, taken everything away to hospitals further afield that some people can't even get to for one reason or another and you can't even get treated without an appointment now after 4pm at the local one.
“After my experience with 111, it's a waste of time - either they don't get back to you, or its 10 hrs later to be told need to go to a bigger hospital out of the area that I had already done because I got fed up of waiting on them ringing me back good job it wasn’t a life and death situation.”
Anthony Hartley said: “If you have to ring 111 after 7pm what are the chances of the service answering, triaging you and still allowing you sufficient time to get to the Urgent Care Centre for an appointment which would need probably be no later than 7.45pm? Seems like another downgrading of the service.”
Billy Bou looked at what could be done to improve the service so it supported residents and said: “If they charged a prescription charge to book in I’m sure only genuine things that folk need urgent treatment for would be there, if you require medication and pay for prescription you get the meds and the treatment at no extra charge.”