TENBURY Minor Injury Unit is only open three days this week.

It is closed on Tuesday, again on Thursday and will be on Saturday and Sunday, due to an ongoing staffing shortage, due to unexpected absence.

The unit is one of five across Worcestershire which treat minor injuries such as strains, sprains, cuts, wounds and burns which don’t require emergency care.

But the units help to keep the pressure off Accident and Emergency at the larger hospitals.

The other four units, at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre which is run by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and at Evesham, Malvern, Bromsgrove (Princess of Wales) Community Hospitals run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust remain open as normal.

“We apologise for the inconvenience this causes but we have to make sure we can safely staff the unit in Tenbury,” said Phil Shakeshaft, the NHS Health and Care Trust’s lead nurse for minor injuries.

“We have some unexpected staff absence and despite best efforts we have only been able to find a solution for part of this week.

“We are working hard to find a more sustainable solution which will enable the unit to open for the full seven days a week as normal.”

This is not the first time that the unit at the hospital has had to be closed because of the need to move staff to other places where they are needed.

During the Covid-19 pandemic last year it was necessary to close the unit for a period in order that staff could be relocated to other hospitals in the area.

As well as the Minor Injuries Unit, Tenbury Community Hospital also has a small number of inpatient beds.

These are used for respite care and for people who are unable to look after themselves whilst they recover but do not require the specialist support available at a larger acute hospital such as in Worcester.