The Urgent Care Centre (UCC) at Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness is changing its hours of operation beginning Wednesday, Aug. 7.

“We are changing the time when we take the last patient,” said Kiki Ferrari, executive vice-president of clinical operations at the William Osler Health System.

The UCC will take the last patient at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m., said Ferrari, adding the centre will still have the same hours of operation.

Because the volume of patients increases at the end of the day, Ferrari said there were concerns with safety and quality of care.

“It is very, very important to us to be providing consistent and high-quality care,” said Ferrari.

The UCC was funded for 10,000 patients but treated more than 75,000 patients in 2018-2019, said Ferrari. Brampton Civic Hospital was funded for 90,000 patients, but treated 137,000 patients last year, said Ferrari.

Etobicoke General Hospital (which is part of the Osler Health System) treats 77,000 to 80,000 patients a year, said Ferrari, with Etobicoke General being open 24 hours a day.

Unlike Brampton Civic Hospital, ambulances do not go to the UCC. The centre, located at 20 Lynch St., is staffed by emergency-trained doctors and nurses. Ferrari said UCC also offers patients access to high-tech diagnostic tests, including an X-ray, CT scan and laboratory services.

Many of the patients who come to the UCC arrive by foot. Although the UCC will see its last patient at 9 p.m., Ferrari said there is some flexibility.