Ladbroke Grove urgent care centre closes temporarily to help cope with coronavirus outbreak

By Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter

A west London urgent care centre has closed temporarily to help cope with the coronavirus crisis.

St Charles Urgent Care Centre, which is based at St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove and usually helps relieve pressure on A&E departments by seeing and x-raying people with injuries and accidents, is shutting its doors for the time being.

The decision was taken by the North West London and Central London Community Healthcare Trust.

The trust said that the number of people using the centre where staff aim to see people within two hours has reduced dramatically, as people have followed government guidance by avoiding social contact.

The staff will be helping with the trust’s response to the coronavirus response, providing clinical support and care for some of the most vulnerable patients.

Signs have been put up on the door telling people where they can get help instead.

The NHS 111 service has told to expect calls from people who might have normally used the centre at St Charles and to suggest they contact their surgeries or other services instead for advice.

People will also get texts from their GP practices to tell them about the change.

In an emergency people are still advised to call 999.

If patients need mental health support they can  call the Samaritans on 116 123 or if they are in crisis  the Central North West London single point of access on 0800 023 4650.