SICK and injured people from the town and the surrounding villages are being urged to use the Urgent Treatment Centre at Petersfield Hospital to help ease growing winter pressure on Queen Alexandra Hospital’s A&E department.

With A&E departments facing unprecedented demand this winter, the centre can help patients avoid long waits and also relieve some of the pressure on the QA Hospital in Cosham.

The newly-opened centre in the Swan Street hospital is run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and is GP led, and staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals.

Staff can treat strains and sprains, skins infections and rashes, ear and throat infections, suspected broken limbs, eye problems, emergency contraception, minor injuries, minor burns and many other conditions.

X-ray facilities are also available Monday to Friday.

The centre is open 8am to 8pm 365 days a year, though patients are encouraged to routinely access the service via NHS 111 – online or phone – to receive a pre-booked same-day appointment if needed.

Walk-in patients without appointments will be clinically assessed in the centre by a triage nurse or other health professional.