Enter and view: Bridgenorth Minor Injuries Unit, Shropshire
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Healthwatch Shropshire
Bridgnorth Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), Bridgnorth Community Hospital, Northgate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 4EU Northgate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 4EU
The E&V visits were semi-announced. 12 people completed the surveys. The survey was carried out to gain some insight into public awareness of urgent care services available, when a visit to an A&E is not needed, to understand why people choose to attend a local Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and to get their feedback on the quality of the service experience provided in the MIU.
Summary of Findings. The service at the Bridgnorth MIU is very highly regarded by the people who used it at the time of our visit. The Shropshire Community Trust website does not list the addresses of the four MIUs on its home page, although this information is on the Bridgnorth Community Hospital website, which is only useful if people know the MIU is within the hospital.
Everyone on the day had come because of an injury. There was good general awareness of the concept of urgent care, and the narrower range of conditions the MIU could treat. Most people indicated they would prefer to come to the MIU rather than go to their GP for urgent care, (but it was not always clear whether this referred only to injuries). Eight of the 12 respondents were aware that Pharmacists can offer advice in some urgent care situations and five people said they had used this service.
All respondents were aware of the NHS 111 phone line, although only one person had ever used it. The MIU very busy at the time of the visit, but the process was very well-managed, and everyone who left after treatment expressed great satisfaction with their experience.
Recommendations: that the signs and notices at Bridgnorth Community Hospital refer to the Minor Injuries Unit, rather than MIU and include the list of health problems that can, and cannot, be treated. That the Trust’s website home page includes the addresses of the MIUs in addition to the telephone numbers already there. That the problem of insufficient parking is addressed at a higher level.