Service update: Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit
"As a Trafford health and care system, we are committed to ensuring Trafford residents have appropriate access to safe and effective urgent care [*]. Therefore, between now and next summer we will be undertaking an Urgent Care Review to ensure that services across Trafford meet the needs of the total population, noting that the services are also used by residents beyond Trafford.
Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) is part of the urgent care offer in Greater Manchester. The service has been temporarily stood down since the pandemic due to national shortages in the specialist nursing staff who run the unit. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), which operates the unit, has made great efforts to develop a model based on available staff. This would, however, involve operating the unit for two days per week.
The Integrated Care Board has reviewed this offer from MFT, within the context of the collective pressures the NHS and social care will face over the winter and the potential for confusion for the public in terms of opening hours, as a result of a partial ‘stand up’.
As such, NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board believes the right decision for now is to keep Altrincham MIU stood down until after the winter, when we can make an informed decision based on the findings of the 4 stages Urgent Care Review.
We would like to thank the people of Trafford for their ongoing support and understanding, and assure them that we remain committed to the provision of safe, personal and high quality care.
[*]Note: While the Minor Injuries Unit at Altrincham remains stood down, we continue to deliver outpatient and diagnostic services from the Altrincham Hospital site by appointment. In addition to this, patients with non-life and limb threatening urgent care needs are still able to access our Urgent Treatment Centres at Trafford General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary. In order to ensure you are able to access the most appropriate service for your needs we recommend you contact NHS111 either by telephone or online (https://111.nhs.uk/). This service will be able to book you an urgent appointment should you need to be seen by a clinician either in a hospital setting or in the community."
