Board to discuss temporary overnight closure of Minor Injury Unit to protect patient safety

At its meeting on 26 September, Hywel Dda University Health Board will discuss the need to change the opening hours of the Minor Injury Unit at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli due to increasing operational and staffing pressures.

The proposal, if supported, would see the provision of 12-hour daytime service rather than a 24-hour-service, from 1 November 2024 for a period of six months. This is to ensure the safety of patients presenting at the unit.

The temporary change will not affect the Acute Medical Assessment Unit and very unwell medical patients will still be taken to Prince Philip Hospital, 24-hours a day, for assessment and treatment as they are now.

The proposal would mean that adults and children with a minor injury would also still be able to attend the Minor Injury Unit at the hospital between 8am and 8pm every day.

The proposal to adjust the opening hours of the MIU is being presented due to patient safety concerns, raised both by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales seeking assurances following an inspection in June of last year, and from staff working at the unit. This is due to the frequent inability to find suitably qualified doctors to cover the GP led service, particularly in evening and overnight sessions.

This has led to the service being led instead by Emergency Nurse Practitioners who, whilst extremely skilled at dealing with minor injuries, are not able to provide suitable care to patients who require a GP.

Additionally, some patients attending the unit have more complex needs than can be managed by a GP, as they are considered major. This means they need to be stabilised and transferred onwards.

The urgent need to address this problem has been endorsed by medical staff at the hospital with growing concerns about the safety of the service and the patients it treats.

While the proposal is being considered, it is important to stress that Prince Philip Hospital continues to provide acute medical care for the local population.

If the proposal is endorsed, the health board will run an information and engagement campaign in the community. This will both inform people about what care and treatment is provided from the Minor Injury Unit, and what the temporary opening hours are, and seek to consider what the future of the service could look like.

• For further information on how the MIU at Prince Philip Hospital can help you – please visit Minor injuries units – Hywel Dda University Health Board (nhs.wales)

• If you are unwell and unsure what help you might need, please visit the NHS Wales symptom checker on the website NHS 111 Wales – Homepage or call 111
• If you need mental health advice which is urgent and not an emergency, call 111 and press Option 2.
• In a life-threatening emergency, call 999.

The meeting of the Board will take place on Thursday, 26 September 2024. Details of the Board meeting can be found on the health board’s website. The Board decision will be announced to local media and on the health board’s website and social media pages on 26 September 2024.

The health board is happy to speak with the community and hear their views, and an information sharing and engagement process is recommended as part of the Board paper