HEALTH bosses encouraging the use of the local Minor Injury Unit rather than spending potentially hours in Accident & Emergency.
Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust is encouraging anyone with a minor injury to attend the MIU in Evesham rather than visiting A&E, which should only be used in urgent and life-threatening situations.
MIUs can treatment a range of minor injuries including cuts and grazes, sprains, strains, fractures and minor burns.
The nearest one is on Waterside but there are others located around in the county in Malvern, Bromsgrove, Tenbury and Kidderminster and many patients are seen in less than an hour.
Dawn Shaw, minor injuries team lead said: “Our staff are trained nurses who have knowledge and skills to deal with a range of minor injuries.
“Often people wait hours in A&E with a minor injury which could have been treated at one of our MIUs and with pressure on emergency departments greater at this time of year, we are urging people to really think about what the most appropriate options are.”
Dr Jules Walton from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The county’s five Minor Injuries Units offer patients convenient, timely, expert medical advice on a wide range of injuries and mean that our A&E colleagues can really focus on treating patients with urgent, life threatening issues.
“In our hospitals we are working hard on our HomeFirst Worcestershire plan which is prioritising how we can ease pressures on our busy A&E departments.
“Using Minor Injuries Units and other healthcare services appropriately is a positive way that our local residents can support us with this.”
The MIU in Evesham is open from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.
For urgent but non-life-threatening illnesses, the public can contact their GP (including an out of hours redirect services) or NHS 111 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
