Thursday, 16 August 2012
Staff at Neath Port Talbot Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit are keen to let patients know their nurse-led service is operating as usual, despite the urgent change to the hospital’s Acute Medicine Service next week.
The Minor Injury has been part of the hospital’s Local Accident Centre, which has also housed the Medical Assessment Unit.
The Medical Assessment and Admissions Service is closing from 22nd August, as part of the urgent Acute Medicine Service change at the hospital, but the Minor Injury Unit (MIU) is not affected by the change.
Judith Morgan, Consultant Nurse in Emergency Care and clinical lead for the MIU, said:
“We offer a 24-hour minor injury service which treats adults and children over the age of one year.
“Patients are seen and treated by our very experienced team of specialist nurses and health care support workers – no doctors work in the unit.”
The MIU is able to assess and treat the following:
· Limb injuries which include broken bones (fractures) and dislocations of the shoulder, finger and toes.
· Grazes, wounds and minor burns
· Head or face injuries without loss of consciousness
· Minor neck injuries where the patient is mobile and has no pins and needles in arms
· Minor back injuries not occurring from twisting or lifting
· Foreign bodies to eyes, ears and nose
· Non-penetrating eye and ear injuries
· Rib injuries where there is no coughing up of blood or chest infection
· Insect, animal and human bites
· Insect stings
· Assaults
The MIU offers the following treatments: wound closure including stitches and gluing; application of dressings; plaster casts, splints, strappings and slings; reducing shoulder, toe and finger dislocations; removal of foreign bodies and eye washes.
The unit can also give patients antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatories to treat injuries, and give tetanus vaccinations following an injury.
Follow-up clinics are also offered for suspected fractures and knee injuries.
Last year the Neath Port Talbot Hospital Minor Injury Service treated around 19,000 patients, with 83% discharged within an hour of arrival (92% within two hours and 100% within three hours).
Out of these 19,000 patients, only 4% needed to be referred to Morriston, Singleton or the Princess of Wales hospitals for more specialist treatment.
A consultation at the MIU may include an x-ray which generates a radiology report, usually within a week.
Judith added:
“The popularity of the service is growing as patients travel from the Gower and all over the Swansea and Bridgend areas to be seen.
“Parking is free and spaces are not normally a problem.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
More information on the urgent Acute Medicine service change at Neath Port Talbot is available on our website: www.abm.wales.nhs.uk
