URGENT care centres in County Durham could be closed during the day as part of proposals to make services easier to understand.

A consultation into urgent care services in the Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield (DDES) areas is underway on proposals which NHS bosses say will simplify services and improve efficiency.

The DDES Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has released three options for the public to consider.

All three options include urgent care centres closing between 8am and 8pm, with minor injury units open during those times at Bishop Auckland and Peterlee.

The first option would see these units open from 8am to 8pm, with urgent care centres open out of hours and at weekends. GP practices, or a GP “hub” would be open longer, from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Sundays.

Option two would see the same services provided as option one, but there would be an enhanced GP service with urgent care provided by surgeries or GP hubs.

The third option would be the same as option two, except with minor injury units open 24 hours a day.

Dr Jonathan Smith, clinical chair of DDES CCG, said: “We are reviewing how we deliver urgent care services which gives us the opportunity to design something which is more suited to the needs of our patients.

“The current system is confusing for patients and often they end up in ‘the wrong place’. There is a lot of duplication of work in urgent care centre, walk-in centres, A&E departments and GP surgeries.”

Due to shortages in the GP workforce, to deliver extended or enhanced GP services, hubs would be created to cover populations of at least 30,000 people.

There could be up to nine hubs in the area, with three in each area. All existing surgeries will be considered for hubs.

Dr Smith added: “The population have more complex medical needs than ever before which is putting increased pressure on the whole of the NHS.

“We know that the NHS as a whole faces significant workforce pressures and that here in the North-East it is particularly difficult to recruit GPs. Therefore we need to use the workforce we do have in the most effective way.”

The following public meetings have been arranged to discuss the proposals; April 22, 9.30am-11.30am at Bishop Auckland Rugby Club; April 30, 10am-12pm at GlaxoSmithKline sports and social club, Barnard Castle; May 4, 5.30pm-7.30pm at Wolsingham School sports hall; April 27, 6pm-8pm at Seaham Golf Club; April 16, 10am-12pm at Peterlee Leisure Centre; May 12, 2pm-4pm at Easington Social Welfare Centre; April 9, 10am to 12pm at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre; April 28, 10am-12pm at Spennymoor Leisure Centre; May 11, 6pm-8pm at Sedgefield Racecourse.

To view the proposals in more detail visit www.gettingcarerightforyou.org.uk.