The Minor Injury Units (MIU) at the Community Hospital in Ross-on-Wye has reopened after a temporary closure.

The temporary MIU closure, which began in December, 2018, meant that the hospital could redeploy experienced emergency nurse practitioners to provide enhanced support at Hereford County Hospital.

When the MIUs temporarily closed in December, the Trust promised they would open after Easter and they opened their doors to patients again yesterday morning, Wednesday, May 1st.

The decision was made as part of a planned strategy to help the Trust cope with winter pressures, and with a 9.1% increase compared to last year, we were able to safely care for the 15,321 patients seen in the Emergency Department during the winter period.

A spokesperson for the Wye Valley NHS Trust said: "The good news is that despite the increase in attendances, 7,243 patients were seen and treated within an hour of their arrival – an increase of 18.7 per cent compared to last year.

"And on November 26th, the Trust experienced the largest number of patients ever recorded in the Emergency Department on a single day – 233."

The MIU in Leominster has also re-opened. The units are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.