Rotherham Hospital plea after demand on urgent care centre soars

The hospital’s managing trust said on Wednesday that it had seen “higher numbers of people attending the hospital who require acute levels of care” attending the Moorgate site but there was no particular reason for the rise this time.

A spokesperson for The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust said that the pressure on at the hospital’s Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC) was expeced to continue for the next few days and urged people not to attend unless strictly necessary.

“Along with other local hospitals, Rotherham Hospital is currently dealing with an increase in demand and our UECC (A&E) is currently very busy and likely to remain so during the coming days,” the spokesperson added.

The hospital also saw rises in the number of people seeking treatment in January and March.  

“We know that the winter period brings its own pressures, but alike other hospitals, there are other times of the year such as this week, when we also experience a sharp and temporary rise in admissions,” the spokesperson said.

“We only have the resources and staffing that we have and therefore want to support those with a non-emergency care need to choose the best care provider for them, helping them to stay well and us to treat those most in need at this busy time.”

Other available options before going to the UECC include visiting pharmacists and GPs or calling NHS 111.

There are also weekend GP Hubs and physiotherapy appointments which can be booked through your own GP.