THE Kerry senior football manager, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, officially opened the Urgent Care Centre at Bon Secours Hospital Tralee this week.

The General Manager of Kerry General Hospital, TJ O’Connor, a number of GPs from the Kerry area and the Mayor of Tralee, Cllr Jim Finucane, attended the official opening.

The Manager at the Bon Secours Hospital, Donna Roche, said: “The Urgent Care Centre was established with a view to creating choices for patients who wish to be assessed by an Emergency Consultant without delay. We offer a range of diagnostics to patients while they are at the hospital and swift access to a bed should they need to be admitted for further treatment. The emphasis is on time and choice and already we have seen a steady flow of patients in need of urgent care.”

The Centre offers patients over four years of age an additional choice for the treatment for non-life and non-limb threatening illnesses/accidents.

The Medical Team will treat patients suffering from breaks, sprains, minor facial injuries, scalds, burns, cuts, grazes and various sports injuries.

Patients with serious head injuries, pregnancy related conditions, pelvis or hip fractures, psychiatric emergencies, extensive burns, acute stroke or who have been injured following road collisions or falls from a height must go directly, or will be transferred, to A&E at Kerry General Hospital.

The centre currently operates four days a week, Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, while the hospital plans to extend the opening hours to five days a week from the end of January 2015.

The initial fee for a consultation is €120 up to a maximum of €480 excluding CT Scans and Insurance Excess charges as per various policies.

The Urgent Care Centre is located on the main hospital corridor, close to reception and the contact number for patients or GPs is 066 7145999.