Urgent Care Centre at West Cornwall Hospital
If your illness or injury is not life threatening, the Urgent Care Centre may be the best place to go for quick diagnosis and treatment.
What injuries and illnesses does the Urgent Care Centre treat?
Minor injury units and urgent care centres can treat:
Minor injury units and urgent care centres cannot treat:
- chest pain
- major injuries
- breathing difficulties
- problems usually dealt with by a GP
- stomach pains
- gynaecological problems
- pregnancy problems
- allergic reactions
- overdoses
- alcohol-related problems
- mental health problems – see the section below on what to do in a mental health crisis
- conditions likely to require hospital admission
If you’re not sure whether your injury can be treated at the Urgent Care Centre, call 111 for advice.
Suspected stroke? Chest pain? Serious injury? Choking? Traumatic blood loss? Loss of consciousness? Call 999 or visit the Emergency Department
What happens when I visit the Urgent Care Centre?
A qualified nurse assesses each patient as soon as possible after they have registered. As you’d expect, we assess patients in order of urgency and not necessarily in order of arrival. We’ll then either treat the patient in the department or, if necessary, admit them to the hospital’s medical assessment unit or surgical ward. Many patients can be seen by an Emergency Nurse Practitioner and may be called ahead of patients needing to see the doctor.
Seriously ill patients who need a full trauma service, intensive or specialist care, will be transferred directly to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Safety at the Urgent Care Centre
Regrettably, our staff are sometimes the subject of inappropriate and threatening behaviour. We have a zero tolerance policy and will prosecute offenders.
Directions to the Urgent Care Centre
The Urgent Care Centre is on the ground floor at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance. When you arrive at the main entrance, go past the main reception and turn right. Follow the corridor round to the left and the Urgent Care Centre is on your right.
Get directions to West Cornwall Hospital
Takes you to directions in Google Maps in a separate tab
