Opening hours for Yate’s Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) are to be extended to 8am to 8pm seven days a week from April 2019, as part of a range of measures to develop and enhance local urgent care services being introduced by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire clinical commissioning group.
The unit provides treatment for adults, children and young people for a wide range of minor injuries and currently operates from 8.30am to 7.30pm on weekdays and from 10am to 1.30pm on weekends.
The changes will mean the unit can see more people during both weekdays and weekends and will also bring its opening hours into line with those of the South Bristol Urgent Care Centre and North Somerset MIU.
CCG clinical lead for unplanned care, Dr Lesley Ward, said: “This is an exciting development for Yate MIU and a big boost to our plans to enhance urgent care provision across the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area.
“Minor injuries units are there for when people need medical care urgently, but it’s not serious enough for A&E, and as part of our longer-term strategy for urgent care in our area we want to simplify and standardise the services they offer, including making sure all our local units operate to the same core hours.
“Changing Yate to an 8am to 8pm, seven days a week service, is a really positive step forward that will improve care for local people as well as helping the unit to respond better to surges in demand.
“It also complements the other measures in our urgent care strategy, which include extending GP opening hours, enhancing the NHS 111 service and increasing the self-care advice provided by community pharmacies.”
Yate MIU is an NHS service operated by community provider Sirona care & health. Jenny Theed, Director of Nursing and Operations for Sirona, said: “We know how much local people value Yate Minor Injuries Unit and we and our commissioners have listened and spoken to many service users and residents about what they wanted the unit to offer.
“This feedback included a wish for us to be open for longer, particularly at weekends, so we’re really pleased that the CCG is supporting this development. We are in the process of recruiting extra staff and are aiming for the new hours to be operational from April.”
Cllr Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, and Luke Hall, MP for Thornbury and Yate said: This latest step is the result of some very positive work between the Council and the CCG and we are in full support of the plans being put forward.
“The provision of quality healthcare services is high on our respective agendas and giving the public extended access to such services seven days a week would be of considerable benefit to the residents of South Gloucestershire.
“We have put a lot of effort in, alongside our dedicated local teams, to make the case for an improved Minor Injuries Unit on behalf of our residents and we are pleased this could soon become a reality.”
Updates on the implementation of the new opening hours will be posted on the CCG website and this site.
