Public consultation on Urgent Treatment Centres and GP out-of-hours services

Have your say by completing the online survey here. 

Printed copies of the survey are available which you can then send to us via Freepost (no need for a stamp).  The survey is also available in other formats and languages on request.  You can contact us at 0191 535 5881 or email: nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net

Click here to read the full public consultation document.

Click here to read a summary of the public consultation document. 

Click here to read an Easy Read version of the consultation document. 

This consultation is led by NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB). The ICB is responsible for planning, commissioning and improving health services for people living in Birmingham and Solihull.

The ICB also oversees any substantial changes to NHS services in Birmingham and Solihull, ensuring proposals offer clear health benefits, provide a good experience of care for patients, and are based on strong clinical evidence.

The ICB is part of the wider Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS), alongside hospitals, GPs, community services, councils, community organisations and other partners.

The ICS serves a large, diverse population of around 1.3 million people, living in both inner-city and suburban communities. Some areas face high levels of deprivation and poor health, while others have older populations with growing care needs.

The ICB’s role is to work with partners to improve health, reduce inequalities, and make sure NHS services meet local needs now and in the future.

The NHS in Birmingham and Solihull plans and delivers healthcare services across six areas known as localities:

Central Birmingham

• Bournbrook & Selly Park
• Bournville & Cotteridge
• Stirchley
• Druid’s Heath & Monyhull
• Billesley
• Highter’s Heath
• Balsall Heath West
• Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East
• Sparkhill
• Moseley
• Brandwood & King’s Heath
• Hall Green North
• Hall Green South

North Birmingham

• Castle Vale
• Pype Hayes
• Erdington
• Stockland Green
• Gravely Hill
• Perry Common
• Kingstanding
• Oscott
• Sutton Walmley & Minworth
• Sutton Wylde Green
• Sutton Reddicap
• Sutton Roughley
• Sutton Mere Green
• Sutton Four Oaks
• Sutton Trinity
• Sutton Vesey

East Birmingham

• Alum Rock
• Ward End
• Heartlands
• Bromford & Hodge Hill
• Shard End
• Glebe Farm & Tile Cross
• Garretts Green
• Small Heath
• Tyseley & Hay Mills
• Yardley West & Stechford
• Yardley East
• South Yardley
• Sheldon
• Acocks Green

South Birmingham

• Edgbaston
• Harborne
• Quinton
• Bartley Green
• Weoley & Selly Oak
• Allen’s Cross
• Northfield
• Frankley Great Park
• Rubery & Rednal
• Longbridge & West Heath
• King’s Norton North
• King’s Norton South

West Birmingham

• North Edgbaston
• Soho & Jewellery Quarter
• Newtown
• Nechells
• Ladywood
• Bordesley & Highgate
• Bordesley Green
• Aston
• Birchfield
• Lozells
• Perry Barr
• Handsworth
• Holyhead
• Handsworth Wood

Solihull

• Solihull
• Bickenhill
• Blythe
• Castle Bromwich
• Chelmsley Wood
• Dorridge & Hockley Heath
• Elmdon
• Kingshurst & Fordbridge
• Knowle
• Lyndon
• Meriden
• Olton
• Shirley East
• Shirley South
• Shirley West
• Silhill
• Smith’s Wood
• St Alphege

How will my information be used?

Demographic information shared via the consultation survey or registration for consultation events is used only for analysis and reporting purposes, not to identify individuals.

Why are you asking for demographic information in the consultation survey and at consultation events?

We ask demographic questions to help us understand who is taking part in the consultation and whether we are hearing from a broad and representative range of people.

This information helps us:

• Check whether different groups in the community have had the opportunity to share their views
• Identify voices that may be under-represented and consider how we can better reach them
• Understand whether experiences or priorities differ across different groups
• Improve how we design future consultations and engagement activities
• Collecting this information supports fairness, inclusion and better decision-making.
• Assure NHS England that we engaging with a diverse and representative sample of our community.

Will my responses be confidential?

• NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) is working with an independent team called Olovus to support with running this consultation.
• Olovus will keep your personal information safe. They will only use it for this consultation. After the work is finished, Olovus will keep your information for no more than 6 months, then delete it.
• Under data protection law, NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB is responsible for your information. This means they are the data controller. Olovus collects, stores, and uses your information for the consultation. This makes them the data processor. Olovus may share the information you give them with NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB to help with this work.
• To learn more about how Olovus uses your information, your rights, and how to make a complaint, you can visit: Olovus.co.uk/mydata This information is available in English, British Sign Language and Easy Read.
• To learn more about how NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB uses your information, your rights, and how to make a complaint, you can visit: www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/privacy-policy

Printed copies of the documents and survey are available, and you may also see some in community centres, UTCs, GP surgeries, hospitals and other public buildings.

You can also contact us by calling 0191 535 5881 or emailing nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net for documents in different formats or languages.

Urdu

اگر آپ یا آپ کے کسی جاننے والے کو اس دستاویز کی مختلف زبان میں ضرورت ہے، تو براہ کرم ہم سے nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net پر رابطہ کریں

Punjabi (Shahmukhi)

جے تہانوں یا تہاڈے کسے جانن آلے نوں ایس دستاویز دی مختلف بولی وچ لوڑ ہووے، تاں میربانی کر کے ساڈے نال nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net تے رابطہ کرو

Bengali

যদি আপনি বা আপনার পরিচিত কেউ এই ডকুমেন্টটি অন্য কোনো ভাষায় পেতে চান, তাহলে অনুগ্রহ করে nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net-এ আমাদের সাথে যোগাযোগ করুন।

Polish

Jeśli Pan/Pani lub znana Panu/Pani osoba, potrzebuje niniejszego dokumentu w innym języku, prosimy o kontakt pod adresem: nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net

Somali

Haddii adiga mise qof aad taqaanid uu u baahan yahay dukumentigan oo ku qoran luuqad kale, fadlan nala soo socodsii adigoo nagala soo xiriiraya iimaylka nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net

Arabic

في حال رغبتكم أو رغبة أي شخص تعرفونه في الحصول على هذا المستند بلغة أخرى، يُرجى التواصل معنا عبر البريد الإلكتروني التالي: nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net

Pashto

که تاسو یا ستاسو پېژندل شوی څوک دې سند ته په بله ژبه اړتیا لري، مهرباني وکړئ له موږ سره په nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net اړیکه ونیسئ.

Chinese (Mandarin)

如果您或您认识的人需要此文件其他语言版本，请通过电子邮箱 nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net 与我们联系

Chinese (Cantonese – Traditional)

如閣下或閣下認識的人士需要本文件的其他語言版本，請電郵至 nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net 與我們聯絡

Romanian

Dacă dumneavoastră sau o persoană cunoscută are nevoie de acest document într-o altă limbă, vă rugăm să ne contactați la adresa nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net

Pakistani Pahari/Pothwari

جسے تساں کیی یا تساں نے کسے جاننڑے آلے کی کسے ہور زبان وچ ایس پرچے نی لوڑ ہووے، تے براہ کرم اساں نال nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net تے رابطہ کرو

Who is leading this consultation?

This consultation is led by NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The ICB is responsible for planning, commissioning and improving NHS services for people living in Birmingham and Solihull. This includes services such as Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) and GP services provided outside normal GP opening hours.

The ICB is part of the wider Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System, working alongside hospitals, GPs, community services, councils and voluntary and community organisations.

Why is the NHS reviewing Urgent Treatment Centres and GP out-of-hours services?

People have told us that when they need urgent but non-life-threatening care, it can be confusing to know where to go and how to access services.

In Birmingham and Solihull:

• Urgent care services are safe, but they do not currently work in the same way everywhere
• Patient experience varies between sites
• Some services do not fully meet national NHS standards

As a result, some people go to A&E when it is not an emergency and they could be treated elsewhere. This adds pressure to A&E departments and increases waiting times, including for people who need emergency care most.

We want to make urgent care simpler, more consistent and easier to access, so people can get the right help, in the right place, at the right time.

What kinds of problems do Urgent Treatment Centres treat?

The treat urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, such as sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, rashes and infections. Those with life-threatening emergencies should go to A&E or call 999.

What is this consultation about?

This consultation is about how community-based urgent care services and GP out-of-hours services should be organised in the future, alongside the new hospital-based UTCs.

It focuses on:

• Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) based in communities
• GP services provided outside normal GP opening hours
• How these services work together as part of an integrated urgent care system

What is the NHS asking people to share their views on?

We are asking for views on:

• Which of the two proposed options people prefer
• Whether either option could negatively impact communities
• People’s current and recent experience of accessing UTCs and GP out-of-hours care
• How easy it is to navigate urgent, same-day care
• How urgent care services should be integrated so people only have to tell their story once
• What matters most to citizens when they need urgent help for non-life-threatening conditions

Your feedback will help shape how urgent care services work in practice across Birmingham and Solihull.

What is not included in this consultation?

This consultation is not about:

• Whether hospital-based UTCs will be created – this has already been agreed
• NHS standards for Urgent Treatment Centres, which are set nationally and cannot be changed

The consultation is focused on local decisions about how community urgent care and GP out-of-hours services are organised.

Why do services currently feel different depending on where you go?

At the moment:

• Opening hours vary between UTCs
• Some centres accept walk-in patients, while others require appointments booked through NHS 111
• Not all centres offer the same tests, such as X-rays
• Some centres cannot accept appropriate patients arriving by ambulance
• Some centres are staffed by GPs and nurses, while others do not have GPs on site
• This means patient experience can differ depending on location.

What happens when GP practices are closed?

When GP practices are closed:

• Most face-to-face GP out-of-hours appointments take place at a central hub in inner-city Birmingham
• Only limited appointments are available at Erdington UTC or Solihull UTC
• This can mean longer journeys for some people. While telephone advice works well for many, others may need face-to-face care or find it difficult to travel.

Is the NHS investing in urgent care?

Yes. The NHS is investing in new hospital-based Urgent Treatment Centres at:

• Good Hope Hospital
• Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
• Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Smethwick

Alongside this investment, the NHS wants to hear from local people about how urgent care services should work better in neighbourhoods.

When is the consultation and how can I take part?

The consultation runs from 5 February to 16 April 2026.
Patients, carers, NHS staff, community groups and local organisations are all encouraged to take part.

You can find out more at: www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/utc-review 

Complete the online survey at: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/UTCServices/

How will consultation feedback be used?

All feedback received during the consultation will be:

• Analysed carefully and independently by experts outside of the NHS
• Considered alongside clinical, equality and travel evidence
• Used to inform a final decision on how community urgent care and GP out-of-hours services should be organised
• No final decisions will be made until the consultation has closed and all feedback has been reviewed.

How will my information be used?

• Demographic information shared via the consultation survey or registration for consultation events is used only for analysis and reporting purposes. It helps us look at responses in aggregate (for example, overall trends across different groups), not to identify individuals.
• Your answers will not be used to make decisions about you personally.

Will my responses be confidential?

• NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) is working with an independent team called Olovus to support with running this consultation.
• Olovus will keep your personal information safe. They will only use it for this consultation. After the work is finished, Olovus will keep your information for no more than 6 months, then delete it. 
• Under data protection law, NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB is responsible for your information. This means they are the data controller. Olovus collects, stores, and uses your information for the consultation. This makes them the data processor. Olovus may share the information you give them with NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB to help with this work.
• To learn more about how Olovus uses your information, your rights, and how to make a complaint, you can visit: Olovus.co.uk/mydata This information is available in English, British Sign Language and Easy Read.
• To learn more about how NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB uses your information, your rights, and how to make a complaint, you can visit: www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/privacy-policy

Why are you asking for demographic information in the consultation survey and at consultation events?

We ask optional demographic questions to help us understand who is taking part in the consultation and whether we are hearing from a broad and representative range of people.

This information helps us:

• Check whether different groups in the community have had the opportunity to share their views
• Identify voices that may be under-represented and consider how we can better reach them
• Understand whether experiences or priorities differ across different groups
• Improve how we design future consultations and engagement activities
• Collecting this information supports fairness, inclusion and better decision-making.
• Assure NHS England that we engaging with a diverse and representative sample of our community.

Do I have to answer the demographic questions?

No. All demographic questions are optional.
You can skip any question you do not wish to answer, and this will not affect how your feedback is used.

Will my views really make a difference?

Yes. We want to hear from you.
Your views will help shape how urgent care services are delivered now and in the future, so they better meet the needs of people and communities across Birmingham and Solihull.

How will I find out what feedback was shared in the consultation?

We will publish information about the consultation after the feedback has been independently analysed.

Will UTCs at hospitals create additional pressures on car parking at hospitals?

University Hospitals Birmingham recognises that there are parking challenges at all four of its hospital sites. It has developed a business case, which has recently been approved, to proceed with design plans for multi-storey car parks at each site. The first site to move forward with plans will be Good Hope Hospital, with the planning application scheduled for Autumn 2026. Heartlands Hospital planning application will come later in or around November 2026. Queen Elizabeth and Solihull Hospitals are slightly different due to their site makeup, and therefore a range of design options are being explored for potential solutions. Solihull Hospital will also be implementing changes to visitor car parking before the summer which will see an increase in capacity, and once a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is installed later in the year, the flow of traffic through the site will be significantly improved.

Why do you ask these questions about demographics at events as well as in the survey?

Collecting demographic information at events helps us understand who is engaging with us in different ways, not just online. This allows us to assess whether our events are accessible and inclusive, and where we may need to improve outreach.

Phone: 0191 535 5881

Email: nhsbsolicb.utcreview@nhs.net