Private company could run minor injuries unit (From Gazette Series)

Private company could run minor injuries unit

8:50am Tuesday 23rd December 2008 in

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A PRIVATE company could be in charge of the minor injuries unit at Yate’s new health centre, the Gazette can reveal.

A contract to run the facility has been put out to tender after North Bristol NHS Trust pulled out of the project.

It means patients at the minor injuries unit could be treated for burns, sprains and cuts by private health contractors.

Yate and South Gloucestershire councillor Ian Blair (Lib Dem, Yate North) said: "It is appalling that the NBT has chosen to do this at this time after going so far.

"This undermines the whole service that was promised for Yate and people are going to start getting very worried.

"People fear the worst and they could be very uncomfortable with having provision from a sector that they are not very familiar with."

The £12.5million health centre is due to open in November 2009 and 7,500 people are expected to use the minor injuries unit every year.

An agreement was made to fund the unit after years of campaigning for better health facilities in Yate. The minor injuries service was seen as the best solution to the downgrading of Frenchay Hospital and the opening of an acute hospital at Southmead.

Northavon MP Steve Webb said: "We need to be absolutely certain that if we cannot find a quality alternative the NBT will be made to run the minor injuries unit.

"If the NBT reneging on their agreement undermines healthcare for the people of Yate then that is totally unacceptable."

NHS South Gloucestershire, the region’s primary care trust, said it would insist the NBT runs the service if the bidding process is unsuccessful.

Louise Rickett, trust associate director for the Yate area, told a meeting of the PCT board last Wednesday: "We would have to give the minor injuries service the priority in terms of setting it up.

"This could have an impact on our timing of rolling out of other service developments."

She added: "With the opening of the new health centre we will see a big improvement for the Yate population.

"It will mean a lot of people will not have to go to hospital."

The board agreed to make appointing a company a priority but warned other facilities at the new health centre could be put on hold until the contract had been finalised.

Jane Gibbs, director of performance and provider services, said scrapping the minor injuries unit in Yate was not a possibility.

"That would not be compatible with our whole model of care," she said. "But the NBT has to be commended on its openness and honesty."