Staff shortages force clinic to cut hours
GoogleA hospital's urgent treatment centre (UTC) will be shut overnight for three months due to staffing issues.
The UTC at Shotley Bridge Hospital in Consett, Durham, will no longer be open 24 hours and instead be shut from 00:00 BST to 08:00 BST.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said it was due to difficulties staffing overnight shifts "safely and consistently".
The nearest medical facility for urgent overnight help will now be 13 miles (21km) away, at University Hospital of North Durham.
UTCs provide urgent medical help for non-life-threatening emergencies, such as cuts and burns.
The trust said between January and June this year it had been forced to shut the UTC overnight 65 times due to staffing shortages.
It also said on average just five people attended the site each night.
A spokesperson said staff shortages had risen this year due to a combination of vacancies, sickness and maternity leave.
They said the decision to temporarily shut the site overnight was so "daytime care could be protected".
"We'll be reviewing the impact of this change closely and listening to feedback from local people and partners throughout the closure period," they added.