Keswick’s Urgent Treatment Centre will be closed this weekend.
The North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the centre at the cottage hospital, said it would close at 4.30pm today, Friday February 20.
It will remain closed tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday and reopen at 8.30am on Monday, February 23.
It should open from 8.30am to 6pm seven days a week. It had cut its hours in August last year due to staff sickness and vacancies. At that time, the trust said the changes were temporary.
Urgent Treatment Centres, introduced in 2017, provide urgent medical help when it is not a life-threatening emergency.
They offer appointments that can be booked through NHS 111 and are equipped to investigate, diagnose, and deal with many of the most common injuries and illnesses people attend A&E departments for.
No reason has been given for the closure, but the centre has been closed several times in 2025 and at least once this year due to staff sickness or staffing issues.
The trust said the Urgent Treatment Centre in Penrith and A&E departments at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven are still open as usual.
Penrith Urgent Treatment Centre is equipped to diagnose and treat many of the most common ailments.
The trust added: “A&E have to prioritise the most serious cases first so if your condition is less serious, but cannot wait until you can see a GP, a UTC may be the best place for you. Penrith UTC is open daily from 8am until 10pm.”
