Patients in County Durham can once again access overnight urgent care at Shotley Bridge Community Hospital, as the service has reopened following a temporary closure to ensure safe staffing.
The overnight service, which operates between midnight and 8am, was paused in July 2025 due to workforce challenges. Daytime urgent care services continued as normal throughout.
Since then, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has carried out targeted recruitment and training to support a safe return to overnight care. This includes recruiting additional nurse practitioners and strengthening clinical skills through training and competency development.
Staffing across urgent care services in County Durham and Darlington has also been reviewed to ensure the right mix of skills is available overnight.
While the service has now reopened, the Trust has emphasised that staffing remains under pressure and will continue to be closely monitored.
We’re pleased to safely reopen the overnight service and thank our communities for their patience while we strengthened our workforce.
The Trust will continue to review provision to ensure the service remains safe and sustainable for local patients.
