The Mayor of Ross-on-Wye, Councillor Nigel Gibbs was asked by Councillor Chris Bartrum to write to the Wye Valley NHS Trust regarding the extension to the closure of the Minor Injury Unit at Ross Community Hospital.

The Wye Valley NHS Trust said that it is to extend the temporary closure of its Minor Injury Units to allow it to continue its redeployment of experienced staff in the busy Emergency Department at the County Hospital.

Cllr Bartrum said that he is very concerned and he would like a letter sent from the Town Council to say that they expect the Unit to reopen as soon as possible. He said: “We cannot afford to lose any services at the hospital.”

Cllr Gibbs said he had visited the hospital on Christmas Eve with his family, including his grandson who was dressed as an elf. He said that he will consider writing a letter.

The decision to continue the temporary closure of the Minor Injury Units at Ross-on-Wye and Leominster Community Hospitals was made following sustained pressure on services throughout December and over the festive period.

“These seasonal pressures have been experienced by hospitals up and down the country. The demand on services remains high so, in line with our plans to cope with winter pressures, we have taken the decision to extend the temporary closure throughout January to allow us to redeploy experienced emergency nurse practitioners to provide enhanced support where it is clinically most needed,” said Jon Barnes, chief operating officer at the Trust.

There are a number of alternatives local people can use instead of their local MIU. These include seeking advice from their community pharmacy or calling NHS 111. The decision to temporarily close the MIUs will not affect other activities at the Hospital.