AN extended X-ray service has been announced at Bromsgrove Minor Injury Unit.
The move comes in a bid to divert more non-emergency cases from the busy Accident & Emergency Departments at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Worcestershire Royal in Worcester.
From this Saturday, August 20, visitors to the Minor Injury Unit in Bromsgrove will have access to X-ray facilities at weekends, as part of an initial three month trial.
The department will be open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week.
Although the MIU, which is based at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital on Stourbridge Road in Bromsgrove, is open seven days a week, until now X-rays have only been available from Monday to Friday.
It is hoped that by extending to weekends health professionals will be able to support more people who have suspected breaks or fractures.
Opening times at the the MIU in Bromsgrove are also being extended during the trial period, with it now opening from 8am until 8pm seven days a week for the next three months.
Phil Shakeshaft, MIU Lead for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, said: “The weekend X-ray service will be for a three month period initially while we gauge demand, and only applies to the Unit here in Bromsgrove, although our other units in the county are all open as normal, have access to X-rays during the week, and can also treat a range of non-emergency injuries.
“It is also worth remembering that waiting times across all our MIUs are much lower than in the busy A&E departments.
“So, even if you have to travel a bit further to get to an MIU, chances are you can be seen and treated much quicker.”
For more information on the range of injuries local MIUs can treat, visit www.hacw.nhs.uk/MIU
