Minor injury unit overnight closures approved

The closures involve minor injury patients in some areas of Aberdeenshire

The night-time closure of three minor injury units in the north east of Scotland has been voted through.

The 24-hour clinics in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Huntly will be reduced, to save money.

They treat injuries including cuts, small burns, sprains and suspected broken bones.

Aberdeenshire's Integration Joint Board (IJB) said the move was part of budget setting which required £20m in savings.

The IJB comprises members of Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian, and oversees the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

The units will remain open from 07:00 to 19:00, seven days a week.

The IJB said that they currently deal with an average of four people a night.

It estimates that closing the minor injuries units overnight will save £700,000 this year and £1m in each subsequent each year.

Anne Stirling, chairwoman of the IJB, said: “Making decisions such as this is never easy.

"However, we need to make significant financial savings and we must ensure good stewardship of public money going forward.

“The IJB has thoroughly investigated the data around who is going to our MIUs, when and what they are being treated for, and have made the decision that, with regret, we are able to close these services overnight."

The meeting was held on Wednesday morning

Seamus Logan, the SNP councillor for Fraserburgh and District, told BBC Scotland News he was unhappy about the changes, which could see patients have to travel to Aberdeen for treatment.

"I don't think the implications for the Scottish Ambulance Service or the ARI (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary) are being properly taken account of here.

"It's only 48 hours ago that we had a public notice issued that ARI could only cope with life-threatening presentations, and it's in that context that we're proposing to close this service across the three sites."