In north Cumbria we have two urgent treatment centres – one in Keswick and one in Penrith. If you have an injury that is urgent but not life threatening these may be closer than A&E and you can get the expert help you need.
Zoe Rigg is the manager of our UTCs at Keswick and at Penrith. 
Zoe explains:
“Our UTCs are led by highly qualified Advanced Clinical Practitioners, with staff nurses and health care assistants. We are also supported by our GPs. We are all highly trained and are best place to help you if you need urgent medical attention that is not life threatening. The UTCs are based at Keswick Hospital and at Penrith Hospital and you don’t need an appointment or a referral to access the services.”
Our walk in services are open between 8.30 and 6pm in Keswick and between 8am and 10pm at Penrith.
UTCs are equipped to diagnose and treat many of the most common ailments people go to A&E. A&E have to prioritise the most serious cases first and so if your condition is less serious a UTC is a more appropriate service for you.
If you need urgent medical attention that is not life threatening then our urgent treatment centres will be able to help you. However it is important not to delay going to A&E if you think you or someone else has a serious or life threatening condition. Always call 999 in an emergency and call 111 for advice if you are not sure.
Penrith and Keswick urgent treatment centre are also developing more services in the day time too.
Since November 2021, a change in Penrith’s Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) opening hours meant that the staff were able to learn new skills to deliver ongoing scheduled treatments for a range of conditions as well as deal with the steady stream of people walking in with their minor injuries and illnesses. Staff at Penrith are able to manage PICC lines and Hickman lines as well as delivering infusions. Most staff are also trained in blood transfusions.
Now in Keswick they are also beginning to deliver more training to staff to enable them to increase their skills and delver more scheduled care to the local population. The opening times of the Urgent Treatment Centre changed slightly in February to close at 6pm instead of 7pm to enable this to happen.