Units help take the pressure off our emergency department staff

Sarah James, Advanced Clinical Practice Lead for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) and Minor Injuries Units (MIU), talks about how the units can help people with minor injuries and illnesses which helps to relieve pressure on emergency services.

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We were delighted to be able to reopen the MIU at Dawlish Community Hospital in April. Having this extra support for the local community and visitors to the area is great news for both the people we support and our other services.

Originally closed as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked really hard to recruit and train the clinical practitioners needed to be able to staff the unit.

The public are very aware of the pressures on urgent and emergency care services, and our MIUs at Totnes and Dawlish hospitals provide an alternative for people who may otherwise visit the emergency department at Torbay Hospital.

Both MIUs have an ‘appointment-priority’ service in place. This means that people can phone ahead to be given an arrival time, with walk-ins still supported but pre-booked people prioritised.

This will help us to maintain a consistent and reliable service. The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, reducing the time people have to wait to be seen and providing reassurance that they can be supported ahead of visiting. 

Our UTC at Newton Abbot Community Hospital is a more expansive service that has extended operating hours and only supports walk-in patients. Some patients are referred directly by 111.

The UTC and MIUs can provide care and treatment for a range of minor injuries and illnesses. This can include wounds, (cuts, lacerations and grazes), burns and scalds, sprains and strains, broken bones, bites and stings, head injuries and eye problems, and minor illnesses including throat, ear and eye infections.

Often, we see people who could have received help from their GP or a pharmacist, or cared for themselves at home with over-the-counter medication. This includes headaches, rashes, water infections (UTIs), back pain and also flu and colds. 

We also see many people who come to us regularly for wound redressing. This isn’t something that our units should routinely support. As part of your treatment plan for your injury your clinician would have advised you on the appropriate place to get your wound redressed when needed. You can ask your GP to refer you to an enhanced access dressings clinic if you require redressing outside of your GP opening hours.

Our unit teams don’t include emergency doctors. If we think you need care for a life-threatening or urgent medical condition, we may tell you to go to our emergency department at Torbay Hospital.

Some of the conditions that we have seen people present with at the unit but should have gone to the emergency department include chest pain and heart related conditions, drug overdoses, gynaecology and pregnancy related problems, major trauma injuries and severe abdominal pain.

If you need help but you’re not sure where to go, please call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk who can signpost you to the most appropriate service. You will be directed to the right service whether that is self-care, a pharmacy, a GP, a UTC or MIU, or the emergency department at Torbay Hospital.

Newton Abbot Community Hospital – Urgent Treatment Centre

• Open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week

• X-ray available 9am – 5pm

• Walk-in patients

• Newton Abbot Community Hospital, West Golds Road, Jetty Marsh, Newton Abbot, TQ12 2SL

Totnes Community Hospital – Minor Injuries Unit

• Open 8am – 5pm, 7 days a week

• X-ray available 9am – 5pm on Monday, and 9am – 1pm on Tuesday and Wednesday

• Appointment-priority service. Call 01803 862622 and select option 1 for a same day arrival time

• Totnes Community Hospital, Coronation Road, Totnes, TQ9 5GH

Dawlish Community Hospital – Minor Injuries Unit

• Open 8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday

• Appointment-priority service. Call 01626 895203 for a same day arrival time

• Dawlish Community Hospital MIU, Barton Terrace, Dawlish, EX7 9DH