Birmingham treatment centre makes ‘emergency’ move despite plea to keep it in Erdington

A general view of Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


An urgent treatment health centre in Birmingham has been moved from a high street site to a hospital on an ‘emergency’ basis after concerns were raised over violence, serious crime and yob behaviour. The North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) was only moved to Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre in the High Street in June 2024.

The previous location at Warren Farm Warren Farm Road had been found to have RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) in its roof panels and was at risk of deterioration and structural issues. But the Erdington move led to its own issues.

A report found the High Street location led to an ‘an increase in anti-social behaviour, violence and other serious criminal activity in the vicinity’. There had been reports of ‘threats of violence to staff’ and ‘gang-related conflict’ near the site.

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Such incidents were said to potentially cause an ‘imminent danger’ and the risk of a closure of the site ‘without notice’. So NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board proposed a second ‘temporary and emergency’ move to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield at the end of last year, which would mean ‘no on-going risk to patient and staff safety’.

The proposed move met with opposition from local politicians with Erdington councillor Gareth Moore saying the decision ‘came out of the blue’ and he had not been notified. Erdington MP, Paulette Hamilton, said she ‘objected in the strongest possible terms’. She said: “It could have been that alternative options in Erdington were explored.”

But Faith Button, chief delivery officer at the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board said it had ‘taken legal advice’ and added: “We have a duty of care - not only to our population but to our staff. People are now no longer coming, so we have taxpayers paying for a UTC which is not being used.”

A view of the front of the Erdington Health and Wellbeing centre in High Street
The North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre had been based at Erdington's Health and Wellbeing centre in High Street - but fears over violence, crime and staff safety have led to a move to Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield -Credit:Google

The North Birmingham UTC stopped operating in Erdington on Monday, February 3 and opened at Good Hope at 8am today, Wednesday, February 5. The care board said: “The new location at Good Hope Hospital provides patients and UTC colleagues with better security and more modern facilities, while it will also support in reducing pressure on the hospital’s A&E department by ensuring patients who inappropriately attend A&E can be triaged and treated more quickly to the UTC.”

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It added: “UTCs provide urgent medical help when it’s not a life-threatening emergency and patients can access any of the six UTCs that operate across Birmingham and Solihull by contacting NHS 111 online or over the phone. One of which is Erdington UTC, which is based at Stockland Green Primary Care Centre in Reservoir Road.”

Visits to the North Birmingham UTC must be booked in advance via NHS 111 online or call – it is not a walk-in service. It will operate between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

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Ms Button said: “We remain deeply committed to the provision of healthcare services across our city and borough, including Erdington and Erdington UTC remains in operation. I want to stress this is a temporary relocation which has been carried out on an emergency basis and this decision is not one which has been taken lightly.

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“We are confident the new location at Good Hope Hospital will lead to better experiences for our communities and we would encourage anyone who needs urgent healthcare to make use of it via NHS 111.”

The care board said: “The permanent future location of North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a strategic review of all UTCs across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stage. As part of this review, the NHS will be engaging and consulting with communities across the area to ensure their vies play a key part in the NHS’s strategic thinking and decision-making process.”

It reiterated its plea for the public to ‘use the right service at the right time’ – which include pharmacists, GPs and NHS 111 and 111 online if they need advice and support for health conditions. It said: “They should only call 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.”

It added: “Pharmacists can suggest treatments that do not need a prescription for a range of conditions and most offer a service called Pharmacy First which means they can provide prescription medicine for seven conditions without the need to see a GP or make an appointment."