Worrying noises from Government about Yate Minor Injuries Unit

Focus Team councillors demanding better use of the MIU

A letter from Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, has cast doubts on the effectiveness of Yate MIU in reducing the number of people going to casualty at Southmead Hospital. Although he hasn't shared his evidence, he's using that as an excuse to stop the project for another MIU at Cossham Hospital.

But the health service locally is hindered by the lack of services being provided at the Yate MIU:
It doesn't open on Saturday afternoons when lots of sporting and children's accidents happen
It shuts its doors early when they've got too many patients (i.e. they haven't got enough staff to deal with a rush). People still have to go to Southmead for outpatient clinics that could be delivered locally.

Some parts of the service work well, such as the walk-in X-Ray facility, where you can often be seen very quickly. But until this very good facility if opened and staffed properly, it won't have the desired impact on Southmead casulaty numbers. We need to make sure that we keep the services we've already got, and stop the Government even thinking that it's ineffective. More clinics and longer hours please!