Hospital overnight closure ends after nine months
GoogleThe overnight closure of a hospital has ended after nine months, with new staff recruited.
The urgent treatment centre at Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Durham had been closed between midnight and 08:00 since July because of staff shortages.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust confirmed the clinic reopened earlier this month after "a period of targeted recruitment and continued workforce development".
Kevin Earley, secretary of Shotley Bridge Hospital Support Group, said the hospital was "much-loved" and the community was pleased the overnight service had reopened.
The closure of the facility was originally meant to last three months, but was extended in October and again in January.
The trust previously said that on average just five people attended the site each night.
The measure had left some residents concerned the closure would become permanent.
Earley said the reopening was good news and meant people would not need to travel further to access services.
He had previously warned keeping the centre closed overnight beyond April would be a "sore blow".
"Sometimes we all have a tendency to think this is how you push things through, you gently introduce it as a temporary measure and then all of a sudden it becomes a permanent measure," he said.
"It's always been a much-loved part of the community and we should use it as much as we can and the services should be there."
A spokesperson for the trust said additional clinical staff had been recruited since July and training had been "strengthened".
"While this represents positive progress, staffing across urgent care services remains fragile and the trust will continue to review staffing and service provision to ensure patients can access safe, high-quality services."
Preparatory work for a new hospital in nearby Consett is also under way.
It includes an urgent treatment centre and is expected to be completed by 2030.