Opening hours at Dawlish and Totnes Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) have been temporarily reduced due to short term staff shortages – but the units are still open when most patients use them.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the MIUs at the towns’ community hospitals, is reducing opening hours at the start and the end of the day to ensure patients can still access them during their busiest times.
The temporary opening hours, which are in operation now, are:
· Dawlish MIU, Dawlish Community Hospital, Barton Terrace, EX7 9DH
o MIU opening hours: 10am to 6pm, seven days a week
o X-ray opening hours: 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday (no change)
· Totnes MIU, Totnes Community Hospital, Coronation Road, TQ9 5GH
o MIU opening hours: 9am to 6pm, seven days a week
o X-ray opening hours: X-ray 9am to 1pm, seven days a week (no change)
Opening hours at Newton Abbot MIU are unchanged and the service continues to run as normal from 8am – 8pm, seven days a week. The X-ray service also continues unchanged at Newton Abbot from 9am to 5pm seven days a week.
Ian Currie, Deputy Medical Director at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are facing a number of workforce challenges due to staff sickness and turnover but we have been actively recruiting and training to return to normal opening hours as soon as possible.
“In the interim, we have temporarily re-arranged working patterns to make sure they remain open when they are most needed by patients, seven days a week.
“If your injury is not serious but does need attention when Totnes and Dawlish are not open, you can still visit the MIU at Newton Abbot from 8am to 8pm or use NHS 111 – either online at www.111.nhs.uk or by dialling 111.
“We will keep the opening hours under constant review with a view to restoring them to normal as soon as possible.”
MIUs are run by a team of highly qualified nurse practitioners who have experience and expertise in treating minor injuries.
They provide treatment for less serious injuries, such as broken bones and sprains, cuts, grazes, burns and scalds. You do not need an appointment to get seen and often have much shorter waiting times than at Emergency Departments.
