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Please be aware, the information on this page relates to Bedford Hospital

Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC)

The Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) is located next to the A&E Department in the Cauldwell Centre.

The centre is open from 11am – 11pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and will offer same day access to GP and Nurse appointments. The UTC is for when patients need urgent medical treatment but it is not an emergency. The UTC is open to all those living in and visiting Bedfordshire.

Appointments can be booked by calling NHS 111. When calling NHS 111 call handlers supported by a clinical team will assess the patient and if the UTC is the right place for the patient to be treated, they will make them an appointment, in most cases, on the same day. An appointment is required and it is recommended to reduce waiting times.

The UTC treats all ages, including babies and children with:

Minor eye injuries
Minor illness
Urine infections
Abdominal pain / back pain
Minor cuts and grazes, scalds and burns

Unexpected closure of lifts in Beeden House and reduced lift capacity in the Main Block, Bedford Hospital

Beeden House

We have had to make the difficult decision to close both lifts in Beeden House after finding an unexpected fault during routine maintenance.

This means that there will be disruption to services and appointments on the upper floors of Beeden House.

We are currently contacting patients to find the best individual solution for them, minimise disruption and ensure they continue to receive the care they need. At this point you do not need to contact us, we will contact all affected patients.

The decision to close the lifts was hard, but we felt it was the safest decision to best protect our patients and staff.

Reduced lift capacity in the Main Block

Please be aware our lifts in the Main Block currently have reduced capacity. In order to maintain lift functions and minimise traffic in the remaining lifts, we will be prioritising high priority movements.

Staff, patients and visitors can access the main block lifts if required, but may be asked to wait at main reception while other priority movements are made. A minimum of 4 people will be required before the lift departs. Security staff operating the lifts will be mindful that not all disabilities are visible and make appropriate accommodations for non-ambulant staff and visitors.

We apologise for the inconvenience the closure of lifts and reduced lift capacity will cause.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and support.