The urgent care centre at Central Middlesex Hospital will no longer be open 24 hours a day, hospital bosses have confirmed.
Brent Central Dawn Butler MP is campaigning to protect local health services. (Image: Archant)
Despite the opposition of Brent Central MP Dawn Butler, the borough's NHS bosses have confirmed plans to slash opening ours at the Central Middlesex Hospital urgent care centre.
Hospital bosses have decided it is no longer financially viable to staff the centre - billed as a replacement for the hospital's A&E department which closed five years ago - 24 hours a day.
The centre, based at the hospital in Acton Road, will now shut at midnight and reopen at 8am after a consultation with stakeholders found it was not used enough over night, and that those who did use it could otherwise use other NHS services including the non-emergency 111 phone line.
Earlier this month, Dawn Butler put a motion to Brent Council - which was passed - which called on the town hall to join her campaign to protect local health services.
On average, Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) - who made the decision - said only 67 people each week used the service between 12 and 8 and that "the majority of people attending the centre at night" did not need to do so.
Because of the MP's intervention, there will be an extraordinary meeting of the council's community and wellbeing ccrutiny committee on Thursday at which the CCG will be asked to "account for the closure of the urgent care centre and other local health services.
Then on Friday, the MP is meeting with the CCG's chief exec to express her disappointment at the closure. Beforehand, the Labour Party are hosting a protest outside the CCG's Chaplin Road headquarters in Wembley.
Dr Madhukar Patel, who chairs the CCG, said: "We would like to reassure our local residents that they will continue to get the best, clinically safest healthcare from the NHS in Brent. There are a range of services that are available so residents can access the right care in the right place for their health needs."
The CCG said patients would be encouraged to call 111 instead, or visit an urgent care centre at Northwick Park, Ealing or St Mary's Hospitals.
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