Temporary Closure of Accrington Victoria Community Hospital Minor Injuries Unit

Published Tuesday 5 April 2016 at 16:56

Residents are being warned that the Emergency Department and Urgent Care Centres at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital are currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for services.

Despite East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust attempting to employ more doctors and nurses than ever before,  the Trust has announced that it is unable to avoid patients waiting longer before they are seen and treated. This problem comes at a time of increased circulating illness in the community, school holidays, high levels of staff sickness and impending industrial action by junior doctors.

In order to maintain the Trust’s ability to see the most critically ill patients as a priority, it has agreed with Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups to a short term closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital (AVCH). This will be effective from Wednesday, April 6 at 8am and it will reopen at 8am on Monday, April 11. This temporary measure means that staff from the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington can move to support their colleagues at our Burnley and Blackburn sites.

The Trust assures patients that it has not taken this decision lightly, and appreciates that it may lead to some inconvenience.  However, patient safety remains its priority.

Anybody who would have visited Accrington Victoria Community Hospital Minor Injuries Unit is advised to use alternative provision. This may be from their GP or Primary Care Centre, NHS 111, the Urgent Care Centres at Burnley General Hospital and Royal Blackburn Hospital, or the Minor Injuries Unit at Rossendale Health Centre. Of course, in the event of an acute medical emergency, patients should call an ambulance or attend our Emergency Department at Blackburn.

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