Express & Star

U-turn over Cannock's Minor Injuries Unit's opening hours

Opening hours at Cannock's Minor Injuries Unit will no longer be extended – despite a pledge by health bosses who took over the service in March.

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Chiefs at the Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust, which runs Cannock Hospital, today said they had no plans to extend the service.

The MIU's opening hours were controversially cut in December in a bid by Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to save £750,000.

Four months ago, when the trust took over control of the Brunswick Road hospital, Tim Powell, the deputy chief operating officer, said the trust would 'extend the service offer as soon as is practicable'.

Gwen Nuttall, chief operating officer for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: "The decision to reduce the hours was made by commissioners before we took responsibility for the service.

"We were pleased to take over the service at the time and we remain pleased with the service we are providing for the local population.

"We will always look at service demand and currently we are happy with the quality of care we provide for people in the hours the MIU is open.

"Like all services, we are always monitoring how successful they are and we are pleased with the way the MIU is operating, but we don't have any current plans to extend the opening hours."

Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson said he was disgusted but not surprised by the decision.

The Labour leader fought to save the original opening hours from being cut and said it was a financially motivated decision, not a medical one.

He said: "The CCG are refusing to pay for longer hours. The hours need to be extended but I am not optimistic that they will ever be prepared to fund it when they are talking about cutting more NHS services in Cannock, which is completely unacceptable."

He added: "I am still receiving complaints from people who are confused about the opening times and where best to go for what service.

"It has been a complete farce from start to finish. The CCG went against public opinion, the consultation was clear but they still reduced the hours."

Councillor Adamson said he believed the unit at the town's hospital needs to re-instate longer opening hours to cope with the crisis at neighbouring A&E departments.

He added: "I don't hold out any hope at all but we will keep on trying."

The MIU opened in 2006 and used to be open from 8am until midnight. The unit can take up to 20,000 patients a year.

In 2013/14 there were 19,043 visits – slightly down from 19,464 the year before.

Initially health chiefs wanted to shut the unit but they changed their minds with revised plans to get GPs to run the service following a public outcry.

Around 800 people signed a petition to keep the MIU open. Richard Caddy, spokesman for Cannock CCG, added: "Demand has been carefully monitored since the reduction in hours and is minimal outside the current opening times. Other measures are being put in place, such as increased access to local GP surgeries."

Cannock South Councillor Maureen Freeman said she feared the MIU could still close completely.

She said: "I am disappointed they have gone back on their word but I am not surprised.

"In my opinion the CCG never had any intention to pay for longer hours, despite the public wishes.

"I have very little faith in the CCG at all, they are continually searching for more cuts and are not thinking about the needs of the whole district."

She added: "It really isn't good enough. It was only the pressure from the public that stopped the CCG shutting the unit full stop last year.

"The intention from day one was to close it and I worry now how much longer it will stay open at all."

Cannock Hospital used to be run by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the trust that was also responsible for Stafford Hospital.

But Mid Staffs Trust was dissolved in November last year.

Stafford Hospital, renamed County Hospital, is now run by the University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust. The trust also runs the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Some maternity services have moved from Stafford to Stoke, as well as children's services, since then. And the running of Cannock Hospital was handed over to Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust, which also manages New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

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