Shotley Bridge urgent treatment centre to remain closed overnight
The overnight closure of a hospital’s urgent treatment centre has been extended until next year.
The overnight closure of a hospital’s urgent treatment centre (UTC) has been extended until next year.
Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Durham was initially closed overnight for three months from July due to staffing issues.
Residents warned the nightly closure between 12am-8am will remove local access to urgent care and place further pressure on NHS services in the region.
Now, the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust has confirmed it will remain closed for a further three months until the beginning of January 2026.
The “difficult decision” has been taken to allow for continued recruitment and stabilisation of the workforce, the trust said.
NHS officials continue to recruit Advanced Nurse Practitioners to support the service, with one recently recruited. However, three staff members are set to leave, meaning the trust cannot safely staff the service overnight.
A spokeswoman added: “This remains a safety-first decision, reflecting the trust’s duty to provide services that are safe, clinically appropriate and sustainable. The UTC will continue to operate as normal between 8am and 12 midnight, seven days a week.”
During the closure, an average of one patient was referred to University Hospital North Durham from the Shotley Bridge area, and there have reportedly been no incidents or complaints related to the temporary closure.
However, campaigners have urged the Government to intervene and halt the overnight closure. Councillor Kathryn Rooney, Liberal Democrat for Consett North, has submitted a motion ahead of next week’s Durham County Council meeting asking members to back the plea.
Construction of a new hospital in Consett, which includes an in-patient rehabilitation ward and urgent treatment centre, is expected to be completed by 2030. The continued overnight closure is not linked to the redevelopment plans for Shotley Bridge Community Hospital.
“The decision has no impact on the new hospital plans, which remain a long-term strategic development currently in the planning stages,” the trust added.