YATE’S own minor injuries unit will open later this month.

The facility, within the new West Gate Health Centre, will open its doors to patients on Tuesday, June 22.

The unit will treat people suffering burns, broken bones, sprains and other minor injuries preventing the need for them to travel to Frenchay or Southmead hospitals.

It will be located on the ground floor of the centre health centre, which opened in January.

Local councillors had fought for the unit as part of the £12million health centre, funded by NHS South Gloucestershire, following the news that Frenchay Hospital would be downgraded to make way for a new acute hospital in Southmead.

Under the centralisation plans, Frenchay will lose its accident and emergency room and there were fears that patients from the Yate area would spend hours battling traffic to reach Southmead.

Town councillor Chris Willmore said: "This is a long-awaited facility, promised as part of the new Yate health building, as part of the Frenchay Hospital campaign.

"We have continued to fight for it and are delighted it will now open in three weeks time."

Other services at the West Gate Health Centre include x-ray facilities, physiotherapy and podiatry rooms, consulting rooms, a community dental suite, offices, a Boots pharmacy and children’s services run by South Gloucestershire Council. West Walk Surgery has also moved in occupying most of the first floor.

The centre took 18 months to build, on the site of the former Yate Health Centre, and its opening was delayed until the start of this year because of problems with the building’s ventilation system.

Once fully opened, it is expected to cater for 34,000 patient appointments every year drastically reducing the number of people who are treated in hospital.