Image Credit: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Rebecca Paul MP has welcomed the announcement of plans for a new Urgent Treatment Centre at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill - a significant investment that should help patients get seen faster, ease pressure on A&E, and improve patient flow across the hospital. Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) confirmed on 3 February 2026 that it is developing a purpose-built Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at the front of the East Surrey site, next to the existing Emergency Department, creating what the Trust describes as a “single front door” for people arriving with non-life-threatening emergencies.
Urgent Treatment Centres are designed to provide urgent medical help when it is not a life-threatening emergency. They can diagnose and treat many of the common problems that people often end up going to A&E for - including sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, cuts and bruises, infections and rashes, and high temperatures. Many UTCs can also arrange tests such as X-rays, blood tests and ECGs, and patients are often directed via NHS 111.
Nationally, NHS England has been clear that properly designed UTCs can help reduce attendance at emergency departments, improve access and patient experience, and support hospitals to focus specialist emergency medicine on the sickest patients.
SASH says the new UTC will be a vital part of its plans to reduce the number of patients attending the Emergency Department, reduce waiting times, and cut the number of people needing to be admitted to hospital - helping more people get home the same day. As well as providing faster assessment, diagnosis and treatment for non-life-threatening emergencies, the Trust says the new centre will support improved patient flow and quicker ambulance handovers. It is also intended to free up space in the main hospital building for an expansion of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services, which can help avoid unnecessary overnight stays. The Trust says the project has been made possible by an £8.6 million capital investment from NHS England. Plans for the new two-storey building are currently at the final stage of design and, subject to approval, construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with the service expected to open in the second half of 2027.
Rebecca has been raising concerns for months about severe capacity pressures across our local hospital estate, including the growing use of “corridor care” at East Surrey Hospital and St Helier Hospital - which she has described as unsafe and undignified for patients, and deeply damaging for staff. Rebecca wrote to the Secretary of State to highlight what she witnessed and warned about the wider impact of overcrowding on safety, infection control and staff welfare. She then took the issue directly to the House of Commons last month, pressing Ministers on when patients and staff can expect the problem to be resolved for good.
Rebecca welcomes this UTC announcement because it reflects the kind of practical capacity investment that can make a real difference on the ground, particularly when it helps people access the right service quickly and supports hospitals to manage urgent demand more effectively. But the key now is delivery. Residents will want to see clear timelines, transparent progress updates, and assurance that the new facilities will genuinely improve flow through the hospital, reduce unnecessary waits, and help restore dignity to patient care.
Rebecca will continue to press for sustained action to end corridor care and to secure the long-term investment East Surrey Hospital needs - this announcement is an excellent start but it is not the end of the story.
