From Friday 1 December, the way in which you access the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Queen’s Hospital has changed.

Previously, those coming to hospital in need of urgent or emergency care used the main entrance of Queen’s Hospital, and were assessed by staff from the UTC, run by our partner PELC, in an area to the right of the hospital atrium.

Now, patients use a new entrance which is further along the main hospital building, past our Maternity department. This is signposted, you just need to look for the purple signs outside the building (below).

There will also be signage to guide drivers to where they can drop patients off.

This reconfiguration removes queueing and waiting in the hospital atrium, an area which can be very busy, while also giving patients a more comfortable place to be triaged and await their next steps. It also reduces the distance they need to go once referred to the relevant department.

We’ve worked closely with PELC to change how we use space within the hospital and improve how patients access their service.

Below is our atrium at Queen's Hospital, pictured on Friday 1 December, following the removal of the entrance to the UTC.