Hull’s Story Street Walk-in service is preparing for a move to its new home at Hull Royal Infirmary from early January 2024 (a date is yet to be confirmed).
The move paves the way for improved integration of urgent care services in the city. Additional minor injuries and diagnostic pathways would then be established to create a fully designated Urgent Treatment Centre at the hospital from April 2024.
City Health Care Partnership CIC will continue to provide the service at the new location, and the centre will continue to offer treatment for minor illness and injury in a newly refurbished clinical space. Co-locating the walk-in centre at the hospital also means that it will benefit from better access to diagnostic services, such as X-ray.
The service will be open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week as usual up until the day of the move. People registered as patients at the three practices within Wilberforce Health Centre (Wilberforce Surgery, The Quays and East Park practices), will not be affected by the move.
Prior to the move, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) carried out a six-week engagement with patients to understand any barriers that people may experience with the move. Just under 500 people gave their views online and at venues in the region, and the full engagement report has been published online.
Dr James Crick, Clinical Place Director (East Riding of Yorkshire & Hull) at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to give us their views about the move. We are committed to listening to what people have said about the move and understanding the issues that matter to them.
“Patients who visit the centre on Story Street really value the service they receive from the staff and want the quality of service to be maintained. They want to be able use public transport to get to the centre and, with the walk-in having a significant number of patients from the HU3 area of Hull, some will welcome having the service within closer walking distance. For car drivers, it is clear that the availability of parking, especially disabled spaces, at the hospital site is important to them and we understand this view.
“The Programme Board will monitor all these aspects following the move to the Hull Royal Infirmary site, particularly as we move towards the designation of the new Urgent Treatment Centre from April next year.
“I want to reiterate that this move is a huge opportunity to integrate local NHS urgent care services for residents and visitors to Hull and the East Riding. The change will ensure that services reflect the needs of our population and that people seeking care are placed on the right path from the very start of their patient journey.”
Gemma Bradley, Head of Urgent Care Services at City Health Care Partnership CIC, says the location will make it much easier for the team to work with emergency staff at Hull Royal Infirmary. She added: “Having the walk-in on the same site as the hospital will mean that if people need further treatment, then they’re in the right place. We’re looking forward to having more space and better facilities for our patients and staff, too.”
Paul Walker, Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Transformation and Change) at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Hull University Hospitals is delighted to collaborate with our valued partners in establishing a walk-in centre at our Hull Royal site.
“This initiative aims to facilitate patients’ access to the most suitable healthcare setting for their needs, effectively safeguarding capacity at the Emergency Department for those with the most urgent requirements.”
The integration of the urgent care services in Hull has been made possible with £2.77m funding from the £250 million boost towards helping service recovery and managing demand this Winter which was announced earlier this year.
It aims to ease pressures on the Emergency Department at the hospital by reducing overcrowding, inappropriate attendances and patient waiting times.
Further information about the walk-in centre move is available on the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website.
