Dr. Emma Curtis:

In Connolly, it is working really well. I do a clinic there once a month - many of us do. There is a cohort of people who do a lot more clinics there. The response from the patients I meet is really positive. Almost 1,400 patients have been seen in outpatients and almost 1,900 have been through the urgent care centre. I was talking to the clinical director yesterday. Fifty-nine patients were seen yesterday between 10 a.m., when they open, and 5 p.m., when they stop taking patients. Staff are there until about 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. to finish that care or arrange transfers. The triage categories attending are appropriate, so people seem to understand the nature of the urgent care centres. All in all, the transfer rates for admission or further care in the three hospitals are at approximately 4% to 5%, which is very appropriate.

Recruitment of emergency and radiology consultants is required in order to open seven days a week and to extend the opening hours. That is still ongoing. Recruitment in that area has continued to be difficult. Until the appropriate staff are in place, the opening hours cannot be extended but the intention and the desire is to extend them.