WITHIN 12 hours more than 100 people have signed my e-petition calling on the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust to reverse its decision to close the minor injuries unit at Shipston's Ellen Badger Hospital from 8pm to 8am.
At a time of unprecedented pressure on A&E services, with the four-hour waiting time target being missed, and the local ambulance service barely coping with demand, it is extraordinary that the trust implemented this foolhardy decision just before Christmas.
People in and around Shipston hugely value the work of the dedicated team at the Ellen Badger.
Having a fully-functioning MIU means that people can be treated locally for minor injuries without having to put an extra burden on their GPs, call 111 or an ambulance or, if they need urgent treatment, to travel 20 miles to the A&E at Warwick.
The trust has not publicised the MIU service and, I understand, has not provided sufficient nurses and doctors to support it.
It is time for the trust to think again, restore the full MIU service at Ellen Badger, publicise and invest in it to provide our rural communities with the health service they need.
The e-petition can be signed here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/73039
Cllr Jeff Kenner
Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here