NHS Warwickshire is seeking the views of local people on urgent healthcare at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, through a public consultation running until 18th October 2010.

The current arrangements at the Hospital of St Cross provide an around-the-clock urgent care service, but not a comprehensive ‘Accident and Emergency’, despite signage on local roads indicating an A&E service. The service also gets very little use between 10.00pm and 8.00am.

NHS Warwickshire is looking for the public’s views on what the service should be called, and whether it should be an entirely specialist nurse-led service running 24 hours with off-site doctor-backup from University Hospital Coventry, or an 8.00am to 10.00pm service with doctor back-up on-site.

Options for future forms have been assessed by GPs and other clinicians for their feasibility and as a result, the following options are being put forward to the public for consideration:

An emergency nurse practitioner led service (24 hours)
An emergency nurse practitioner led service with doctor back-up (8.00am to 10.00pm)

No other changes to the service are envisaged through this consultation, and there are no other knock-on effects for the hospital as a whole which has seen an extensive wider investment programme in recent years.

Paul Jennings, Chief Executive of NHS Warwickshire, said: “We are absolutely committed to providing an urgent care service at the Hospital of St Cross, but we do need to consider what form this service takes and what it is called. It is important that we obtain views from local people and continue to work with clinicians to make sure that the service really does meet the needs of the population of Rugby.”

The consultation document will be widely issued through local voluntary organisations, local councils, and direct distribution to members of the public who express an interest by ringing 0845 423 8903, emailing consultations@warwickshire.nhs.uk, or visiting https://consultations.warwickshire.nhs.uk/

NHS Warwickshire and local GPs will also be expecting to attend meetings organised by local groups, and will also organise public meetings in the early autumn, particularly in areas where there have been few meetings.