Reopening of Stratford Hospital's MIU changes to cover Tuesdays and Wednesdays
STRATFORD Hospital’s minor injuries unit (MIU) will open this summer, but not on the days previously expected.
The unit has been closed since the Covid pandemic struck, allowing staff to be redeployed to other areas of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT).
As the Covid outbreak has eased, calls have been made for the MIU to reopen, giving residents in the Stratford district the option of seeking treatment closer to home rather than having to travel to Warwick Hospital.
Earlier in the summer SWFT and Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) announced that the MIU will open on Saturday, 13th August with a “phased approach” meaning that initially the service will only be available on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 5pm.
The plan has now been superseded by an announcement today (Thursday) that the MIU will reopen on Tuesday, 16th August, and the service will initially be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9am till 5pm. This, SWFT said, will provide services on two of the busiest days of the week.
A SWFT statement said: “[The MIU] will not be open at weekends at the current time.
“The reason for this change is to ensure we are responding to demand effectively. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are extremely busy with high numbers of patients seeking walk-in treatment services at the emergency department at Warwick Hospital, therefore providing this alternative service in Stratford should alleviate pressure at our main urgent care site and ensure those services are available for the people that need them most.
“Operating during the week also means that the minor injuries unit will be able to offer the same level of radiology services which were previously available.
“A plan is being developed to extend the opening days to include Mondays from late September and the operating hours will continue to be reviewed regularly.”
SWFT reminded patients that the NHS 111 service can help if you have an urgent but not life-threatening medical issue while pharmacies can also offer expert advice for a range of common conditions.
