Bury patients to benefit from new mobile service

Date published: 05 March 2009

Bury residents are set to benefit from new state of the art mobile clinical units, designed to provide faster access to a range of minor treatments.

The new service, known as Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (or CATS for short), is delivered for NHS patients by independent sector treatment provider ‘Care UK’, and is the first of its kind in the UK.

The service, which runs from Rochdale and Bolton, is designed to improve access and increase patient choice, whilst complementing other local health services.

The mobile clinical units offer Consultant-led assessment and treatments, including outpatient type minor surgical procedures in speciality areas including (but not limited to) ear nose and throat, urology, gynaecology and orthopaedic. Access to the service is through a referral from a patient’s GP.

Mr. Stephen Mills, Chief Executive for NHS Bury said;

“We are continuing to expand choice of services and speed of care and treatment for local patients through the introduction of new facilities and services. Greater Manchester CATS is designed to bring down waiting times for NHS treatment even further, and so improve access, choice and treatment times for patients.”

The service, which also operates from five other sites across Greater Manchester including Denton, Stretford, Longsight, Salford and a site in Oldham due to open in Spring 2009, is open for extended hours, from 7:45am – 8:00pm Monday to Friday and some Saturdays.