150 sign petition for Newtown minor injuries unit

Councillor Joy Jones, Powys county councillor for Newtown, is encouraging people to sign up to the petition, which she launched on Thursday evening as part of her long running campaign to restore the town's minor injuries unit (MIU) to its hospital.

Councillor Jones said: "Newtown has been without a fully functioning minor injuries unit for too long. It is more than five years since it was removed from Newtown Hospital and transferred to the doctors surgery, it is a long time."

Newtown's MIU was based at Newtown Hospital until 2008, when it was moved to the town's Park Street Doctors Surgery where it is only available between 8.30am and 6pm from Monday to Friday.

Neighbouring Welshpool has retained a 24 hour MIU at its hospital despite have a smaller population than Newtown.

Powys Local Health Board had announced it planned to review MIUs in the county last year but as yet there has been no proposal for Newtown's to relocate to the hospital.

Councillor Jones said she launched the petition because she has had enough of waiting.

She said: "At the 2013 annual meeting they agreed they would like to get it back in there and we are still waiting.

"It is not fair to the people of Newtown, we should have equality of service with other towns in Montgomeryshire.

"As the biggest town in Powys we should have 24/7 cover and at the moment, although we do have cover in the doctors surgery it is only during its normal opening hours.

"They provide a great service but it is not available through the night, on weekends, on bank holidays, or on their training days."

Councillor Jones argued that the lack of 24-hour cover in Newtown also has the effect of increasing pressure on nearby accident and emergency centres such.

She said: "Having access to an MIU helps relieve the pressure on A&E units. If this is the only was to make them listen then it is the only way to do it."

Anyone who wishes to add their name to the petition can visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/put-the-minor-injury-s-unit-back-in-newtown-hospital

Alternatively visit the Facebook page "Put the MINOR INJURY'S UNIT back in Newtown Hospital".