West Mid Urgent Care Patients Made to Queue Outside
Claim made that children awaiting treatment stood for an hour in the cold
Queues reaching out of the door at the West Mid. Picture: Twitter/@unsachaudri
December 8, 2022
Claims are being made that children have been forced to wait outside West Middlesex hospital for more than an hour in the cold weather. Councillors have shared their concerns about the “atrocious” waiting times on social media and demanded the hospital make urgent improvements.
As temperatures plummeted close to zero on Tuesday (6 December), residents needing treatment from the Urgent Care Centre based at West Middlesex University Hospital faced a long wait. Before patients could enter the building, they allegedly had to queue for more than an hour outside despite the cold temperatures.
When patients finally entered the centre, they then had another five hours to wait before seeing a doctor. Councillor Unsa Chaudri, who represents the Osterley and Spring Grove Ward, said on Twitter that children were among those being forced to wait in the cold.
Cllr Chaudri tweeted, “Poorly children queuing out the door for over an hour for a five hour wait at West Mid. If this isn’t a health service under pressure I don’t know what is. We urgently need improvements to improve the situation for residents using the facility.”
Brentford East Councillor Marina Sharma replied and encouraged patients to seek help elsewhere if they can. On Twitter she said: “It [has] been like this for weeks possibly not queuing outside but the wait times have been atrocious. We need to use these services appropriately. I urge you to use a pharmacy or call 111 for advice b4 applying further pressure on NHS.”
Over the next few days, a cold snap is forecast to hit London with temperatures falling as low as -3°C on Thursday, December 8. By the weekend, temperatures are not expected to rise above 1°C.
The Urgent Care Centre is separate from the Emergency Department and is dedicated to treating minor injuries and illnesses, to reduce pressure on A&E services. The service is open 24 hours a day and is for anyone who cannot be seen by their GP, if the illness or injury is bad enough they are referred to the Emergency Department at the hospital.
Hounslow Urgent Treatment Centre is run by Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
A spokesperson for the trust said, “In common with other urgent care providers, the Hounslow urgent treatment centre has seen a significant increase in attendances during the past week, particularly for paediatric concerns.
“Staff are doing all they can to see people as quickly as possible, but this additional pressure can lead to longer waits at particularly busy periods. All patients are triaged and seen according to need, so that those who require the most urgent treatment are prioritised.
“We continue to urge anyone who thinks they or a family member need urgent support that’s not life-threatening, to contact 111 online or over the phone first, or contact their GP (evening and weekend appointments are available).”
Parents who are concerned about Group A Strep or scarlet fever are encouraged to read the latest advice from the UK Health Security Agency.
Megan Stanley - Local Democracy Reporter