THE Minor Injuries unit at Tenbury Hospital will remain closed until at least the end of February.

It is one of a number of minor injuries units across Worcestershire to close to enable staff to be redeployed to help cope with the pressures caused by the increase in cases of Covid-19.

Minor Injury Units in Tenbury, Malvern and Evesham are all closed until the end of February.

During this time staff in the units will be redeployed into Community Hospitals which are experiencing higher than normal demands for their service. as the NHS grapples with unprecedented winter pressures.

The decision has been agreed by the local health and care system to increase staffing capacity in community hospitals, which is part of measures in response to pressures being felt across the local healthcare system.

The units take the pressure off accident and emergency and are for people with minor injuries such as sprains, strains, small cuts and burns and are not for emergency or life threatening conditions.

Phil Shakeshaft, MIU Lead for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, has pledged that the unit at Tenbury will reopen when circumstances allow.

“Our MIUs remain a key part of our urgent care system and the three Units will re-open as soon as we can, but it is important that we use our staff in the areas they are needed most at the moment,” he said.

“MIU staff are trained and qualified nurses and they will be able to use their skills within our community hospitals caring for poorlier patients so they can recover and return home as soon as possible.”

The MIUs at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre and at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital in Bromsgrove are unaffected and will remain open as normal.

The MIU in Kidderminster is open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, and the Unit in Bromsgrove is open Monday to Friday 8am until 8pm and from 12pm until 8pm on weekends.