OKEHAMPTON’S minor injury service will remain in the town for another 12 months but on a reduced scale, thanks to Okehampton Medical Practice stepping in to run it after no bidder came forward to continue the resource at the hospital.

The future of the Minor Injuries Unit at Okehampton Hospital was unclear after the NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) confirmed a new provider would be taking over the service.

But in a letter to stake holders, the NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG said no bidders had come forward to take over the service at the hospital. Okehampton Medical Practice however had agreed to run the service from Monday to Friday for 12 months.

Associate of the NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG Elaine Fitzsimmons said in the letter: ‘National guidance has suggested the development of Urgent Care Centres to replace Minor Injury Units. This new model of much bigger units suits large urban settings, but will not be viable either clinically or financially in many rural areas, including our Devon market towns and communities.

‘The CCG has developed a more bespoke model, linking more closely with GP practices to continue to provide a reliable minor injury service. Across the county, existing providers were offered the opportunity to continue running the MIUs until the best models can be determined. In the Eastern locality, understandably Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust did not feel it was appropriate to continue to run the units following the planned transfer of community services for adults with complex needs in the Eastern locality to the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and therefore the CCG sought alternative providers.

‘No bidder came forward to run the service at Okehampton Hospital. However, we are pleased that Okehampton Medical Practice has agreed to run the minor injury service from the surgery for a 12 month period, until a longer term solution can be agreed. We were unable to secure a provider for the weekend service, therefore the practice will be running a minor injury service from Monday to Friday.’

She said the CCG would continue to look for an alternative provider for the weekends but until this time, as of Tuesday this week, the service at the medical centre would be Monday to Friday between 8.15am and 6pm and patients in the Okehampton area who require a minor injury service at the weekend should consider going to Tavistock Hospital or Launceston Hospital.

Kiran Bakhshi, practice manager at Okehampton Medical Centre, said the practice took on the MIU contract because it did not want the local community to lose the MIU service in Okehampton.

She said: ‘As we do not have an X-ray machine we will not be able to treat broken bones, although the X-ray service currently at the hospital will continue as at present.

‘Although there will be no change to the service we provide for our own patients, the MIU — and so the service to those people who are not our patients — will not treat chest pain, breathing difficulties, major injuries, problems usually dealt with by a GP including minor illness, stomach pains, gynaecological problems, pregnancy problems, allergic reactions, overdoses, alcohol related problems, mental health problems or conditions likely to require hospital admission.

‘We have increased capacity at the medical centre in order to be able to manage the MIU without it impacting on other services that we provide. We have created another treatment room, thanks to Ian Perrott and his team at IJP Building, and employed additional staff, Mark Horsley and Julie Ford, two very experienced MIU nurses, who will be leading our provision of the service, overseen by our multi-disciplinary team leader, Mrs Pip Rubbra.

‘Pip has redesigned our minor illness nurse clinics to enable us to provide the flexibility required to manage the new service and the unpredictability of demand that it will bring. Patients to be seen by the minor illness nurses will be given a time slot within which to come and within which they will be seen, rather than a fixed appointment time. Patients coming in for the MIU will be triaged as soon as possible after they walk in and are registered on our system, and will then be seen according to urgency.

‘The MIU will be open at the medical centre Monday to Friday 8.15am to 6pm, so longer hours during the week than previously at the hospital and our GPs will be available on-site to support the service as required.

‘We are grateful to Okehampton Hospital’s League of Friends for allowing the medical centre to have the ring cutter they provided to the hospital for the MIU and we are hopeful that the CCG will find a way forward regarding the provision of a dressings service at weekends to support our weekday service.’

West Devon Borough and Okehampton town councillor Tony Leech, who attended the recent Eastern locality board meeting to speak on behalf of the residents said: ‘I was heartened by what I heard at the meeting which suggested to me that patients do come first.

‘If the Royal Devon and Exeter take on the contract for the MIU at the hospital it would mean the general and the community hospitals working together which could be good for the town.

‘As I see it the next 12 months is a sticking plaster — to keep the service in the town — with the long term to get the MIU back to the hospital.’

West Devon Borough Councillor for Okehampton North Cllr the Rev Mike Davies said: ‘There has been rumour about the potential loss of the minor injuries unit in Okehampton for a while now. From what I understand no bidder came forward in the tendering process. The North Devon Healthcare Trust which currently operates the MIU did not tender. This presented Okehampton with the potential loss of the MIU.

‘I realise the Okehampton Medical Centre has stepped in to fill the gap between Monday and Friday for the next 12 months, which I appreciate, however, it still provides a problem for weekend cover only being provided in Tavistock and Launceston Hospitals. This is only a provisional arrangement. Okehampton has a growing population which needs a seven day a week service. Discussions with community members and the Clinical Commissioning Group need to continue.’