Minor injuries unit to close at nights after being found unsafe
Posted: August 27, 2014
Posted in: Head and Brain Injuries Medical Negligence
A Community Hospital’s minor injuries unit is due to close overnight after reports found it to be unsafe and underused. Ilkeston Community Hospital is to be closed between 22:00 and 08:00, after audits showed that the hospital was not safe enough to treat children overnight.
The nurse-led hospital deals with non-life threatening injuries, such as breakages, sprains, minor burns, infections and minor eye or head injuries. However, after recent reports by the Erewash Clinical Commissioning Group and other organisations, the decision was made to close the hospital overnight because of safety issues. The hospital said that this was in no way a measure taken to cut costs.
“It was not safe”
It was highlighted in a report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health that the hospital lacked in specially trained nurses to deal with children on the night rota. It was also found that the hospital was greatly underused overnight, with people travelling to nearby A&E departments instead.
Dr Markus Henn, from the commissioning group’s governing body, said: “It was prompted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health who conducted an audit of units in the country and their conclusion was that, for children, during night time hours it was not safe.”
Patients, however, have complained that by centralising the health service, we are “losing what the NHS was set up for”.
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