The possibility of extending the opening hours at the Minor Injuries Unit at Ross Community Hospital, which were suddenly reduced on Monday, October 1st, now seems a little more hopeful.

The shock announcement of the reduction in hours was made by Dr Peter Wilson. The Minor Injury Unit is now open from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Mondays to Fridays – the same as local GP surgeries.

The unit was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but Dr Wilson said that the hours were reduced to protect the clinical safety of patients attending the MIU, and those in wards at the community hospital, and to protect the safety of staff who often have to treat patients alone at night.

More than 100 concerned Ross residents turned up to the Larruperz Centre on Tuesday, October 30th, to listen to representatives of the Wye Valley Trust explain their reasons for reducing the opening hours at the MIU.

After the meeting it was agreed that Paul Deneen would arrange and facilitate a further meeting of all key NHS medical agencies involved in the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at the Ross Community Hospital.

He told the Ross Gazette:?"We held a very useful and informative meeting on Monday, December 3rd of key representatives from the Wye Valley Trust, the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Ross GP's. Full and frank exchanges of views were made by all parties concerned particularly regarding the opening hours and the fact that there is no MIU service available at weekends."

For the rest of this story please see this week's Ross Gazette.