Patients told to visit Neath Port Talbot injury unit, not Morriston Hospital's A&E
ANGRY health campaigners have hit out at plans urging patients who have suffered bumps and minor injuries to go to Neath Port Talbot instead of Swansea’s busy A&E department.
They have branded the move by bosses at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board as “ridiculous.”
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Neath Port Talbot Hospital
But health chiefs say if people have suffered insect stings, minor back and neck injuries or limb injuries, including broken bones, they would be seen quicker at the Minor Injury Unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital instead.
They say the ongoing expansion and upgrade work at Morriston Hospital’s A&E department is likely to have a knock-on effect for those arriving with minor injuries.
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Gerard Lawler, who is a founder member of Sketty and Killay Patient Forum, said he was angered by the decision.
He said: “I am furious, it’s ridiculous. They should be sending people to Singleton instead.
“I can’t quite understand it all.
“We have taken this up on numerous occasions with the health board and the patient forum that there should be more publicity around the Minor Injury Unit at Singleton Hospital.”
Floors are being re-laid at the Morriston department so temporary facilities are in place for patients with minor injuries.
Emergency medicine consultant Mark Poulden, said: “Patients are coming to Morriston Hospital for treatment which they could just as easily get at Neath Port Talbot’s Minor Injury Unit. If they went to Neath Port Talbot Hospital instead they can usually get treated in under an hour.
“Waits in Morriston are generally much longer, and while this work is going on in the A&E department, waits are likely to go up again.”
The Neath Port Talbot unit is open 24/7 and the Singleton unit is open from 8am — 8pm seven days a week.
Comments
by Ded55
Friday, November 02 2012, 7:10PM
“The MIU at Singleton in open (http://tinyurl.com/acnagt9) and non-urgent cases can be dealt with at NPT while work is carried out at Morriston.
So what is the actual point of this very negative story?”
by Jimmy122
Friday, November 02 2012, 6:25PM
“Neath Port Talbot hospital is 10 minutes up the M4 from Morriston, why is it ridiculous to ask patients to attend there for minor injuries?? Recently a family member broke their ankle and were home in plaster within 1.5 hours after attending NPT hospital, whereas if they had attended Morriston would have been waiting 4 hours. The Public need to realise the NHS is not a bottomless pit and if they want an NHS in the future they need to think about how they use/abuse it!”
by beano12345
Friday, November 02 2012, 2:37PM
“The problem here is that the Labour Party allwed GPs to contract out of evening and weekend home visits/call outs.
That is why patients are visiting A&E departments for minor ailments.
Do not blame anyone but your incompetent elected sheep,and they are many points ahead of the tories in polls,dont you fools learn anything.
Most of the time the out of hours service is staffed by nurses.”