Health board wants to permanently reduce opening hours at minor injury unit

Overnight opening hours at the minor injury unit at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr were temporality reduced during the pandemic, and the health board now wants to make the cut permanent.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has opened a public consultation on the change against a backdrop of increasing financial pressure and overspends.

The nurse-led minor injuries unit, also previously know as a local emergency centre, had been operating as a 24-hour service, but this was reduced to between 7am and 1am when the pandemic hit three years ago.

Similar hours are being proposed for Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, although Newport’s Royal Gwent will remain a 24-hour unit.

A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said the change was made then to ensure services could remain running at a time of staffing challenges.

In a statement they added: “The health board is now undertaking an eight-week formal engagement period to look at options for the future of our minor injury unit services.

“This is currently a proposal, and it is important that the public consider any proposals we are making thoroughly and provide their feedback through a survey which can be found on our website.

“Following a recent evaluation of our MIU services, an imbalance between opening hours and patient demand across the MIUs was highlighted, and so the health board is seeking to ensure that this valuable resource is used as effectively as possible.”

In a briefing document outlining the changes, the health board said most patients at Nevill Hall and Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr were seen during the morning with very few later in the day.

The consultation on the changes will run until November 3. To take part people can fill in a survey on the health board’s website, where they can also find details about online video call sessions being held.

A drop-in session is being held at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach, on Tuesday October 3 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.