"Despite the increased use of the Minor Injury Unit at Mid Ulster Hospital, its network hospital for serious acute illnesses is still facing problems" Save The Mid
"The Mid Ulster Minor Injury Unit was the only emergency unit in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust to see an increase in patients from the previous year"
Despite the A&E being removed in May 2010 the Trust have yet proactively promote the Minor Injury Unit, leaving the public in obvious confusion as to what services were available, in terms of trying to aid Antrim A&E you would think having the Mid Ulster Hospital fully utilized would be one of the first options explored by the Trust.
In the response to Transforming Your Care that was submitted by Save The Mid, there are a considerable amount of patients attending the Minor Injury Unit who cannot be treated there. Recently Save The Mid were contacted by a grand mother form Magherafelt who did not know that the unit could not treat children under the age of 5, having brought her grand daughter to the unit she was told that she must take the child to either Causeway or Mid Ulster. if this was a more serious event this could of left the grandchild in a very critical position who would have lost precious time by going to the Minor Injury Unit first.
Save The Mid requested that former CEO Sean Donaghy carry out a postal drop to every household in Mid Ulster, a request that will now be forwarded to new Trust managers Mary Hinds and Paul Cummings.
A further request made while Sean Donaghy to enhance services at Mid Ulster Minor Injury unit so it will be allowed to x-ray injuries such as suspected fractured ribs will also be resubmitted.
"I attended the minor injury unit at Mid Ulster with suspected broken ribs only to be told that I would have to attend Antrim or Causeway A&E to get an x-ray, in a stark contrast when I attended the minor injury with a more severe fracture of my hand I had my x-ray carried out in Mid Ulster and instantly referred to the fracture unit in Belfast. Hugh McCloy - Save The Mid"