A HOSPITAL trust has won a new contract to continue to deliver urgent care services on Teesside following a formal bidding process.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will deliver urgent care services in Hartlepool and Stockton in conjunction with a local doctors’ federation, Hartlepool and Stockton Health.

The decision was made last month by the NHS Hartlepool and Stockton Clinical Commissioning Group, but a so-called ‘standstill’ period was allowed in case of any challenges, before an announcement could be made publicly.

From April next year there will be a new integrated urgent care service delivered across two sites, University Hospital of North Tees and the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

The service will be GP led and include out of hours services for evenings and weekends and provision for minor injuries.

There has been criticism that the existing set-up was leading to delays in patients being seen out of hours.

Patients will be able to ‘walk in’ and receive an appointment or alternatively call NHS 111 for free should they require urgent care.

Ali Wilson, chief officer of the NHS Hartlepool and Stockton Clinical Commissioning Group, said the new model would improve patient outcomes.

She said: “Patients told us that while their experience of urgent care was on the whole positive, accessing the right care at the right time is confusing.

“This has in some cases led to patients having unnecessary waits in emergency departments when they could have been treated for their urgent need in a more effective way.

“We have listened to public feedback and have simplified the service to make sure patients receive the right care, at the right time and by the right people.”

Alan Foster, chief executive at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, welcomed the announcement and said services would be aligned more closely.