- For urgent treatment centre based at hospital sites
The Department for Transport (DfT) authorised the first urgent treatment centre (UTC) traffic symbol for signs in October 2018, in Wakefield Council’s jurisdiction, and designed appropriate symbols (see below) for UTCs based on hospital sites, which must not be varied locally.

The white ‘H’ on a red background is a well-recognised symbol for directing road users to hospitals with urgent medical facilities. A ‘UTC’ or ‘UTC not 24 hrs’ plate sits underneath or alongside the ‘H’ symbol to indicate a UTC facility is present at the hospital; this plate must not be used without the ‘H’ symbol and again the lettering is white on a red background.
To update signs with this new symbol, local authorities must follow the established DfT traffic sign authorisation application process to receive local consent to the new symbol’s use (see question 33 below).
Where a UTC is co-located on a hospital site with an emergency department (ED), the H/ED symbols are sufficient to signpost drivers to the hospital and only these should be used.
- For urgent treatment centres at non-hospital sites
Signs to urgent treatment centres (UTCs) based at non-hospital sites must be text based. The generic ‘urgent treatment centre’ must be used. These signs do not require DfT authorisation.

The local authority is responsible for paying for road signs on their roads; however, it may pass this cost onto the locality. Arrangements should be agreed locally for changing signage between the integrated care board and the local authority/trust.