The Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal could see its opening hours cut back under new proposals from London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH).
The trust is consulting on plans to close the unit at 9 pm instead of midnight, with the last patients registered by 8 pm. It says the change reflects consistently low demand late in the evening, when the centre averages just four patients an hour – many of whom, it says, could be treated by a GP or local pharmacy.
Radiology services such as X-rays and ultrasounds already stop operating after 8 pm, meaning some patients who attend later must either travel to another hospital or return the next day. LNWH says keeping staff on site for small numbers of patients is “not an efficient use of limited resources”.
The UTC currently operates seven days a week from 8 am to midnight, treating around 132 patients a day for minor injuries and illnesses. The trust says that even with shorter hours, the centre would continue to provide the same daytime services, while a 24-hour critical outreach team would remain available for seriously ill patients.
Chief executive Pippa Nightingale said LNWH wanted to “understand how a change in opening hours might affect patients, their families, or the people they care for”.
Two public meetings will be held at Central Middlesex Hospital on 23 and 31 October 2025, and residents can also share their views through an online questionnaire on the trust’s website. A final decision is expected later this year.
 at Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal could see its opening hours cut back under new proposals from London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH).){kind=link}