WIDNES Urgent Care Centre helped relieve pressure on hospital accident and emergency departments last year by seeing 43,488 patients.

This is an average of 119 a day.

Some 1,638 adults and children were treated over the festive period for a range of minor injuries and ailments.

The state-of-the-art medical facility opened at the Healthcare Resource Centre on Caldwell Road after the former Widnes NHS Walk-in Centre was extensively renovated in July, 2015.

A team of specially trained and experienced nurses are now on hand seven days a week from 7am to 10pm to treat conditions ranging from suspected simple fractures and allergic reactions to injuries and infections.

A doctor is on site from 8am to 10pm every day and specialist paediatric nurses have been recruited to treat children.

Elaine McDowell, Walk-in Centre clinical services manager for Bridgewater Community NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the centre, said: “Last year was an extremely busy year for our staff as we transferred to an Urgent Care Centre.

“We are tremendously proud of the high quality care we have provided to such a high volume of patients and that we have been able to reduce the pressures on hospitals in Whiston and Warrington.”

The centre wants to encourage more people to use their services.

It has 10 consultation rooms.

Clinical nurse manager Susan Doyle said: “Our aim is to see patients, treat them and send them home rather than have them facing long waits in hospital.

“Around 95 per cent of people are in and out and sorted within two hours, the majority within one hour.”

Staff cam treat any minor ailments and illnesses such as cuts or wounds, sore throats, suspected simple fractures, rashes and allergic reactions, bites or stings, minor burns or scalds, minor head injuries, coughs and colds, sprains and strains, earache, eye injuries and infections.

Free car parking is available.