TROWBRIDGE Community Hospital today reopened its Minor Injury Unit for referrals from NHS 111 and GPs.

The MIU temporarily closed last month so staff could be redeployed to help care for the rising number of patients requiring treatment for the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Trowbridge MIU will have appointments available seven days a week from 10am-6pm for patients who have contacted NHS 111 either by phone or online and are referred for an MIU appointment. It will not be open to ‘walk in’ patients.

A NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group spokesman said: “This change in service has been designed to maintain the safety of patients and staff and is in line with the national campaign to ‘Think 111 First’."

The CCG spokesman added: “NHS 111 will continue to triage all appointments and, if a patient meets the criteria, they will be referred to the unit and a member of staff will call them back to arrange an appointment.”

Anyone with a life-threatening condition should call 999. Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms should not attend any medical setting unless explicitly directed to do so by the NHS 111 service or a 999 call operator.

Minor Injury Units offer a facility for treating injuries that are not serious, such as sprains and strains; minor burns and scalds, wound infections, insect and animal bites, and minor injuries to the eye and head.

They are not specifically equipped to treat more serious conditions such as stab wounds or chest pains.