Last Friday, Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness was joined by members of the Withernsea and District Health Forum for a visit to Withernsea’s Minor Injury Unit.
The nurse-led unit, which is currently open from 9am – 5pm Mondays to Fridays, receives and treats patients with non-serious injuries reducing the need for people to travel to accident and emergency departments further afield.
Following the visit Graham commented, “The minor injuries unit (MIU) is a vital facility for Withernsea and I would like to see more people taking advantage of the service. Not everybody is fully aware of where they should go when they need medical attention and, often, they’re not going straight to the MIU which would be the best place for treatment. I hope to see an education campaign to make it clearer when you should use your GP, or go to the MIU or rush to A&E.
“In December the MIU at Beverley hospital was opened for extended hours for a six month trial period. Early indications are very positive and I hope to see the longer opening hours adopted on a permanent basis in Beverley after the trial.
“With smarter usage of the Withernsea MIU I am keen to see a trial to open the unit later into the evening and over weekends and bank holidays; extended hours are particularly important in the summer when the population expands. Most minor injuries occur during recreational activities such as playing sport which normally take place outside of the hours of work and education, so it seems logical to have the service open at those times.”
Following the visit, Marion Mead, Chairman of Withernsea and District Health Forum, said, “We do not appear to have had as much success with our requests for extended opening hours for the Minor Injuries Unit, which at present are 9am-5pm five days a week. We are continuing to press for cover seven days a week, particularly when our population swells with the influx of visitors in the holiday period. We feel that the Town needs, and should have, access at the weekend to the MIU."
