HEREFORDSHIRE councillors unanimous supported a call to reopen Minor Injury Units in the county.

At last week’s full meeting of Herefordshire Council, the Liberal Democrats proposed a motion, which received cross party support, which called on the executives who run the authority to work with the Wye Valley NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board and other stakeholders to reopen the units in Ross-on-Wye and Leominster. Ross Councillor Ed O’Driscoll said that healthcare in Herefordshire is at breaking point and that Hereford County Hospital continues to experience unacceptable A&E waiting times.

“This means real people are being let down by a system that is struggling to cope,” he said and went on to explain about his own experience of waiting in accident and emergency.

Using a Shakespeare quote, “The miserable have no other medicine, but only hope,” Cllr O’Driscoll pointed out: “Hope isn’t enough. We need action and one practical step we can take is working to get the minor injuries unit in Ross and Leominster back up and running.”

Cllr O’Driscoll explained that data shows that between November 25 last year and February 16 this year, 25 per of ambulances waited over an hour before being able to hand over their patients to the emergency department.

He added: “This is a failing system. Minor injury units work well elsewhere. Our neighbours Gloucestershire, Powys, Shropshire and Worcestershire still have their minor injury units in the communities they serve and are all working well.

“The units provide fast local care for minor injuries, reducing the burden on accident and emergency units and allowing doctors to concentrate on more urgent cases.

“The public know these units work and their support is overwhelming. When the unit closed in Ross at the outset of the pandemic, over 1,500 people signed a petition demanding its return.

“Since publicising this motion, I have been contacted by hundreds of people along with senior medical professionals with ideas on how to make these units work again – and improve on what went before.

“This is not a nostalgic idea of bringing back the past, but its about proven solutions that could work here again. Its common sense. It’s time to take action.”

Cllr Jim Kenyon, a first responder, said: “We are asking another organisation to spend their money in a different way. I personally don’t feel we will progress very far in this, but I hope we do.”

Cllr Carole Gandy, cabinet member adults, health and wellbeing said: “I live in a part of the county where I can attend other minor injury units across the border. I fully support this motion, and I suggest that we also involve the Integrated Care Board as it funds neighbouring minor injury units.

Cllr Jenny Bartlett said: “Minor injury units do make a difference. In supporting this motion, it adds pressure on the relevant bodies to take action.”

Cllr Mattew Engel said: “While this motion is a no-brainer, I felt the need to talk to some doctors who said that units were often difficult to staff and have up to date equipment available. If I lived in Ross, I would have signed the petition to bring the unit back.”

Cllr Harry Bramer, cabinet member community services pointed out that the use of ambulances would be reduced if people had a local minor injury unit to attend and added: “I think the people of this county deserve their minor injury units and I hope as an authority we can help in this.”

Cllr Louis Stark added: “The minor injury units were closed by stealth during covid. With only two GP surgeries in the town, there is no capacity for dealing with minor injuries without embarking on a journey to Hereford and the associated time factor involved.’