MP calls for extended hours at minor injuries unit

Opening hours at a Warwickshire hospital's minor injuries unit should be extended, an MP has said.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident at Warwick Hospital on 14 January, amid growing pressure on its A&E department.

Manuela Perteghella said a minor injuries facility at Stratford Hospital which had remained closed during the incident was "being under-utilised" and she had written to the NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to raise concerns.

The ICB encouraged anyone with non life-threatening conditions to use NHS 111, which it said could direct people to the "right service for their health".

"This is the best way to ensure that emergency departments at our local hospitals have capacity to treat those with the most severe emergencies," it added in a statement.

A spokesperson added they had a "variety of clinical services" available in Coventry and Warwickshire to support people when they required urgent care but it wasn't a 999 emergency.

The minor injuries unit at Stratford Hospital is currently open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 09:00 and 16:00.

Stratford-on-Avon MP Perteghella said outside of those hours, residents with minor injuries were routinely directed to A&E, adding "avoidable demand" to "already overstretched emergency departments".

She said she had asked the ICB to extend the number of days the unit was open, so people could visit outside of normal working hours.

"Making better use of existing facilities is one of the most practical ways to improve patient flow and reduce unnecessary pressure on emergency care," the Liberal Democrat MP said.

"This is about making better use of a facility that already exists, in a way that benefits patients locally and offers relief to over stretched services."

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