THE Minor Injury Unit (MIU) in Yate has come under fire this week after patients revealed they have been turned away from the service because it was too busy.


Despite having set closing times, the service has turned away people, even those who have been referred to the MIU by their GPs, because of high patient demand, resulting in anger.


The service was created to deter people from going to A&E with injuries that could be treated at a minor injury unit – so the patients’ frustration is understandable.

If people continue to visit the MIU but receive no examination or treatment, they will become increasingly frustrated.


Patients will instead turn to A&E or even call an ambulance for medical help which, as Chris Edmonds said, could “take away emergency services from someone who really needs it”.


The MIU has justified its actions and irregular closing times, so perhaps a way to mitigate these issues is to raise awareness of the injuries the unit does treat, to avoid people turning to the service in irrelevant circumstances.


Even letting more people know that the closing times are not concrete may calm down the situation as the unit, inevitably, cannot control the amount of people who hope to use its under-pressure services.


Making people aware that their use of the ‘drop-in’ service is not 100 per cent guaranteed will at least prevent inconvenience and annoyance on top of their injuries.