How to access treatment for minor injuries and illnesses during the Covid-19 pandemic

WEST Lancashire residents are reminded how to get help for minor illnesses and minor injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While they now need to be accessed differently, the Urgent Treatment Centre in Ormskirk and Walk-in Centre in Skelmersdale are both still open every day of the week from 8am until 8pm, and available to treat patients for minor illnesses and minor injuries such as simple fractures and sprains, insect and animal bites, minor burns, scalds, cuts and wounds. The changes in how everyone accesses these services is to help keep both patients and staff safe, so residents are asked not to visit either centre in person.

Urgent care walk in teams will now only be seeing patients with pre-booked appointments and your problem may be dealt with over the phone, by video consultation, or a clinician may make an appointment for you or your loved one at an appropriate location following a telephone consultation.

When patients are given an appointment, this may be in a different centre to the one they would normally attend. This is to ensure that anyone displaying possible COVID-19 symptoms receive treatment in a separate setting by staff wearing the appropriate PPE equipment.

Claire Heneghan, chief nurse at NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We recognise it can be confusing knowing how to access services during the pandemic. We have had to shape some services differently at the moment, but we would like to reassure the community that treatment for urgent issues is still available and the NHS is still very much open. The walk-in centre in Skelmersdale and urgent treatment centre in Ormskirk.are offering pre booked appointments at this time only and these need to be made via phone in advance.”

Elaine Wilson, Virgin Care’s head of urgent care in Lancashire, said: “We would like to reassure people that we have robust plans in place to keep our patients and staff safe during this difficult time so please continue to access our services where needed.”

The Ormskirk Urgent Treatment Centre and Skelmersdale Walk-in Centre are open every day, including Bank Holidays from 8am to 8pm for pre-booked appointments made over the phone only.

Call 01695 402 180 to make an appointment and you will be advised over the phone which site to attend. Urgent care teams can treat minor illnesses and injuries.

GPs are your first port of call to treat minor illnesses when they are open.