Concern for the future of 3 Minor Injury Units in Dorset
They've been closed during the pandemic
Minor injury units at Portland, Blandford and Sherborne are likely to remain closed while the pandemic is still with us.
An NHS response to questions from a Dorset councillor suggests that the last thing it wants, at the moment, is people walking in, off the street, for treatment.
But Sherborne councillor Jon Andrews says the policy is not working with people needing immediate action visiting GP surgery nurses or even calling ambulances.
Cllr Andrews says he fears that the Yeatman minor injuries closure might become permanent. He claims those asking about the unit’s future, and for similar units at Portland and Blandford, are being ‘fobbed off’ by the NHS health trust.
In a statement to Dorset Council’s people and health scrutiny the trust said:
“We are still responding to the pandemic and have a duty to minimise the spread of infection and ensure that services remain resilient and to optimise the Dorset system preparedness to respond to any rise in rates of Covid 19 infection locally, the latter of which we are now experiencing.
“National guidelines remains that walk-in patients should be avoided to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Given the current situation it is not possible to give a date when the minor injuries units might re-open. We continue to offer telephone triage…to give advice, or signpost other resources, or if appropriate to give an appointment another MIU/UTC for a face to face consultation.
“This new clinical pathway has significantly reduced the risk of exposure and spread of Covid infection by preventing large numbers of patients presenting in the confined space of waiting rooms during peak times.
“We can now manage patient flow more efficiently or consistently without the need for them to leave home. Safety must always be our number one concern.
“We continue to keep this under review alongside national guidelines.”
Fellow Sherborne councillor Robin Legg was critical of the communication from the NHS.
“A lot of people have been trying to get information and communication has not been very good..I know of a parish councillor in the area who was in correspondence with them in October and was told a paper was going to be presented in November..but he has heard nothing more. Nobody has.”
Committee chair Cllr Gill Taylor says she remains concerned because the units had already been closed for a year and will ask the NHS Trust to produce a short paper about the future of the units.