Residents in Wolverhampton are invited to quiz healthcare professionals about their plans to transform urgent and emergency care services in the city at four public meetings in the New Year.

Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which funds healthcare services for the city, and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust are holding a joint public consultation about their plans for urgent and emergency care.

These involve bringing the existing Accident and Emergency department, the GP Out of Hours service and the Walk-In service at Showell Park Walk-in Centre into a new 24/7 Urgent and Emergency Centre at New Cross Hospital, which is expected to open early in 2016. All other services at Showell Park would stay the same.

The CCG and the hospital trust are holding 4 joint public meetings in January and February:

  • Tuesday 14 January, 6pm to 8pm, The Mercure Goldthorn Hotel (Regency Room), Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0ER
  • Tuesday 28 January, 6pm to 8pm, Wolverhampton Science Park (Marston Room), Glashier Drive, Wolverhampton WV10 9RU
  • Friday 31 January, 2pm to 4pm, The Molineux Stadium (International Suite), Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton WV1 4QR
  • Tuesday 11 February, 6pm to 8pm, Bilston Town Hall, Church Street, Bilston WV14 0AT

To book your place, please visit Type=links;Linkid=3121;Title=Urgent Care;Target=_blank; or call 01902 444878.

Dr Julian Morgans, Wolverhampton CCG Clinical Lead for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: "Our aim is to simplify and improve urgent and emergency care services so that they are used in the best way by everyone.

"We would encourage anyone who would like to find out more about our plans to come to these events, ask questions and tell us what they think.

"Patients also have many other opportunities to have their say. There's lots of information on our website, where people can also give their feedback, and the consultation document is available in all GP surgeries in the city."

Dr Jonathan Odum, Medical Director at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: "This is our patients' chance to have their say on what our plans might mean for them. We are firm in our belief that local urgent and emergency care services can work better for patients. We believe our plans will achieve this.

"Our consultation is about ensuring everybody has the chance to shape the city's services for the years ahead."

The consultation runs until Sunday 2 March, 2014.

  • released: Friday 10 January, 2014