Shropshire minor injuries units set to be beefed up

The four MIUs, at the community hospitals at Bridgnorth, Ludlow, and Whitchurch, and Oswestry Health Centre, are believed to have the ability to carry out more procedures.

These could include X-rays, ultrasound scanning, and blood tests, a meeting heard on Monday (May 18). It aligns with government ambitions to make a ‘left shift’ in taking healthcare resources and activity out of acute hospitals and into the community.

The joint health scrutiny committee (JHOSC) in Telford was told that the six-week-old Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group is set to make some key decisions soon.

The group has brought together the boards of both the Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) and The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

“We should be making significant increases in access to community care during the course of the 26-27 financial year,” said Ned Hobbs, SaTH’s chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.

Mr Hobbs asked the committee to “judge us and hold us to account” if they have not made “good strides in the course of this year ahead.”

Jo Williams, the group chief executive, spoke of “levelling up” the MIUs by looking at opening hours, the services provided, and using the skills of the group’s 10,000-strong total workforce.

Ms Williams told councillors and co-opted patient representatives of the plans to “restore confidence back to the citizens”.

If NHS leaders can make the shift from acute hospitals into the community it could also take pressure off accident and emergency departments at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.

“It will have a huge impact on relieving some of the pressures on emergency departments,” said Ms Williams.

She spoke of staff having a “real willingness to move across” sites and making changes to the MIUs in “this financial year.”

She added that changes could be brought about “certainly ahead of winter” when the health and social care system comes under huge strain.

Councillors were told that Shropcom and SaTH have some 77 sites which are being ‘reviewed”.

“The beauty of the group is that we can make the decisions and do it at pace,” said Ms Williams.

Councillor Dawn Husemann, (Reform UK, Claverley and Worfield) spoke of Bridgnorth Community Hospital being “an underused site with massive potential”.

She asked when funding would be provided and when improved services will commence.

Mr Hobbs agreed that Bridgnorth had “brilliant facilities” with the ability to carry out diagnostic tests and a minor surgery room that is “not used to its full potential.”

He added that the group could make “some decisions” but others also needed support from service commissioners.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore (Conservative, Muxton) is a superintendent pharmacist in Donnington.

He spoke of patients being given slips of paper and advised to call Bridgnorth Community Hospital before going there to check whether it was open.

Ms Williams spoke of that situation being “slightly embarrassing” for leaders but they are “going to level up the MIUs”.