The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, UK, has announced plans to open a £9m ($11m) integrated urgent treatment centre in April next year.

The facility will feature clinical and treatment rooms, waiting areas, staff facilities, a triage and a reception area.

Plans for the treatment centre come after an 11-week patient engagement programme, in which 83% of respondents favoured the launch of a new facility.

Preparatory work for the project is currently in progress, with construction work expected to begin next month.

The treatment centre is part of a strategy to integrate services so that care is provided closer to home for those living in Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley area, as well as to reduce pressure on the hospital's emergency department. 

North East and North Cumbria NHS's General Practitioner (GP) Out of Hours Service will be moved from North Ormesby to the new facility, while the opening hours at Redcar's Urgent Treatment Centre will be extended from April next year.

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board local director Craig Blair said: “Our aim has always been to ensure the same high level of urgent care services across all five boroughs in the Tees Valley with the new centre and extended hours in Redcar, all patients will be able to expect a consistent level of service close to home.

“Our initial aim was to integrate urgent care, GP out of hours and home visiting services but our collective success in securing £9m for the project means that all these things can take place in April.”

James Cook University Hospital emergency department clinical director Andy Hebron said: “Having an Urgent Treatment Centre on site at James Cook will help ensure more patients from the Middlesbrough area are treated in the right place for their needs while helping ensure our emergency department is kept free for emergencies.”