Wrexham MP calls for walk-in centre and visits Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) at Maelor

Wrexham’s MP has called for a walk-in centre in the town to help relieve pressure on the hospital’s emergency department.

In July the A&E at the Wrexham Maelor saw just 33 per cent of people within four hours in July – making it the worst in Wales

Last week Wrexham’s MP visited the Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Since her election in 2019, the MP has been inundated with complaints from constituents struggling to access healthcare.

The worst examples include waiting over 15 hours to be seen at the Maelor A&E and constituents turning to payday loans to fund private operations after spending years on surgery waiting lists.

In response, Sarah Atherton launched a healthcare campaign calling on the Welsh Government to fund improved access to healthcare, a Wrexham walk-in-centre and put clinicians at the heart of the decision-making processes.

She met with Ian Donnelly, the Managing Director at the Wrexham Maelor to review the emergency care provision at the hospital and to visit the new Urgent Primary Care Unit (UPCC).

It unit is designed to relieve the pressure on A&E by taking direct referrals from GPs, Pharmacists and 111 service.

Ms Atherton also heard of plans to open Plas Gororau in 2023 –  a unit, off-site, which is being repurposed, some services on the Wrexham Maelor that do not need to be on the site will be moved into the new facility.

This aims to relieve space within the hospital site to enable the emergency department to work more efficiently along with the establishment of a Minor Injury & Illness Unit as part of the ED.

Ms Atherton said she was delighted to hear about the Advanced Care Practitioner Program being established, which will hopefully enable nurses to become autonomous practitioners able to assess, treat and discharge patients.

A scheme which has been highly successful in other parts of the UK.

Sarah Atherton MP said: “It was great to visit the various emergency departments including the UPCC and meet with the staff and talk to the many patients in the waiting room.

“The UPCC aims to reduce A&E waiting times and inappropriate use by patients, who have no other option due to not being able to access a GP.

“Whilst there is no denying that healthcare provision in Wrexham has a long way to go, and the success of these scheme needs to be closely monitored to ensure they are delivering for both patients and staff, I am pleased that BCUHB has listened to my constituents’ concerns.

“These are steps in the right direction, but time is of the essence and I will continue to work closely and constructively with health colleagues to ensure patients in Wrexham receive the healthcare they deserve.”

Ian Donnelly, MD of Maelor, added: “It was great to meet with Sarah to show her around Wrexham Maelor Hospital last week and discuss the positive short and long-term plans we are developing and implementing across the site, which will hugely benefit our patients’ care and experience.”