THE future of Dartmouth Community Hospital’s minor injuries unit is in serious doubt.
A spokeswoman for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said this morning: ’The possibility of Dartmouth MIU closing permanently is an option being discussed at stakeholder and staff meetings this week as part of the development of a new model of care designed to support people closer to or in their own homes and of concentrating urgent care services which would be open for longer hours, have X-ray facilities and a more comprehensive range of services in fewer locations.
’For some months the Clinical Commissioning Group has been working with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and engaging with local groups to develop new ways of delivering services. If the consultation proposals are approved by the CCG’s governing body later this month, a 12-week consultation will begin in May designed to explain the new model of care and to find out what local people think about it.
'Full details of these proposals will be considered at the CCG governing body at its meeting on April 28, with papers being published at the end of next week.
’No decision on the permanent future of Dartmouth minor injury unit will be taken until after the full consultation.
’However, the trust has decided that in the meantime it will not reopen the MIU. The reason for this is that there continues to be pressure on safely staffing urgent care services across the whole area and therefore it is better to concentrate the staff resource we have on providing a better service in fewer locations.
’Local people will continue to be able to access urgent care either from the MIU in Totnes or via the enhanced service provided by Dartmouth GP practice which has been highly valued.’