By Anne North
People who need treatment for minor injuries in the Bude area will be asked to take part in an experiment which could see their local hospital re-opened overnight from August.
The Minor Injuries Unit at the Bude and Stratton hospital has been offering only a reduced service, closing overnight, since December. The Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust said this was due to staffing difficulties, and now says it could be at least a year before it can complete the recruitment of suitably qualified personnel.
But now the Kernow Health Community Interest Company – a not-for-profit private company – has suggested that the new “Integrated Urgent Care Service” could see the unit re-opened on a 24-hour basis. The hospital would become a “Community Treatment Centre,” with out-of-hours GPs who are trained to deal with minor injuries providing the relevant service.
A report to be considered by Cornwall councillors says: “The model would deliver enhanced cover in the area overnight through the use of clinicians currently working in the Integrated Urgent Care Service who are able to provide an advanced level of clinical care.
“These staff will be enabled to assist delivering the conventional 111 and Out-of-Hours service, will also offer greater accessibility for local residents requiring pre-booked appointments in the out of hours period, and would additionally be able to see and treat any ‘walk-in’ patients who self-present at the hospital overnight.
“This blended approach will require clinicians who have additional advanced skills when compared to the traditional MIU staff member, thus would feel comfortable in delivering safe and effective service to any patient accessing the service.”
The new model of healthcare would be tested in Bude until March 2020, with regular reviews to measure how often it was used.