The NHS Bracknell Urgent Care Centre (UCC), based at Brants Bridge, opened in April as it replaced the minor injuries unit (MIU) at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot.

However, Dr Ryan Mehta, clinical lead for the facility, revealed at a meeting last month of the Health and Wellbeing Board for Wokingham Borough Council that it was working at 140% capacity in its first six months of operation.

With those figures released before the extra demand usually seen during the winter period, there is real concern that the purpose of the centre is being misunderstood.

Dr Mehta believes the centre is being treated as a GP practice, with doctors also referring their patients there when they shouldn’t be.

The centre is designed to relieve pressure from accident and emergency services, enabling serious, but not life-threatening, injuries to be treated more effectively.

Dr Mehta said: “We are aware of the increased pressures on unscheduled care services, and we are working hard with our commissioners and other service providers to ensure we continue to deliver effective care.

“We need to get people to think twice before they access services and in Bracknell we support ‘talk before you walk’, encouraging the public to call the NHS line 111 if they have any doubts about where they should go for treatment.

“You are able to speak to a person who will assess your symptoms and direct you to the most appropriate service to make sure you get quick access to the right care in the right location.

“Making sure the public know that the UCC is open to provide non-critical care is crucial, to relieve the pressure on emergency departments.

“The UCC is open every day 8am to 8pm providing advice and treatment for minor injuries and illness, such as cuts, sprains, bruises and broken bones, as well as x-ray facilities and a children’s clinic every weekday evening.

“A&E is for people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. If it is an emergency please continue to call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

“Our Bracknell UCC is for urgent, but not life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which is staffed by our highly trained practitioners, supported by doctors.” Nicola Strudley, manager of Healthwatch Wokingham, said she has seen an increase in the number of Wokingham residents attending accident and emergency facilities and is worried this trend could add an increase in pressure on the Bracknell centre.

She said: “Even though there is clear information about what the centre provides, we like to take the easy option and the ease and openness of attending the centre is helping it to be misused, in Healthwatch’s view.

“This leaves centre managers worried both for patients and for their ability to respond if demands increase higher. We hope we won’t see the recent events in Scarborough and Surrey A&E departments who are operating in crisis.”