Helston: Week-long closure announced of towns minor injury unit

Today (11th) signalled the beginning of a short term closure of the minor injury unit at Helston hospital, Meneage Road.

The closure, from the 11th of August until Wednesday 18th August, is not down to covid but a response to staff sickness at Camborne and Redruth community hospital.

Closing Helston, which is a smaller minor injury unit, without x-ray facilities allows the NHS to protect and maintain the core minor injury sites and services, a spokesperson explained in a statement.

Anita Cornelius, nurse and west area director, commented:

"We're very sorry to have to make this decision, however, this will enable us to maintain a service at Camborne and Redruth's minor injury unit which is the largest and busiest in the county, treating over 3,000 people last month.

"The unit at Camborne and Redruth is open from 8am to 10pm daily, incorporates a primary care centre, and also has x-ray facilities available between 8am and 8pm every day.

"Heading into the Boardmasters Festival, our focus is placing our resources where we know we will have demand and for the period of the festival will include the minor injury units in Newquay, Camborne/Redruth, Bodmin, and St Austell Hospitals.

"We encourage people to talk before they walk and anyone who needs urgent, but not emergency care, should go online or call 111 before attending a unit so the department can be notified of your arrival.

"111 will direct people to the most appropriate facility for their need which could be a pharmacy, GP, or alternative minor injury unit in the area."

This approach is identical to the one recently taken in Launceston MIU to maintain services across the rest of north and east Cornwall but Helston MIU has a shorter period of closure.

Click here to see more from the Helston Community Hospital.

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