Hospital gets urgent care unit but no night service

The minor injuries unit at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli will become an urgent care centre, but remain open only in daytime hours

A hospital's minor injury unit, which has been operating under temporary daytime opening hours due to staff shortages, will not return to a 24-hour service.

Since November 2024, the minor injury unit at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, has been open between 08:00 and 20:00 only.

Hywel Dda University Health Board decided on Thursday that instead, a 12-hour urgent care treatment centre would be established at the hospital.

This would allow for more complex cases to be treated than currently possible, the health board said, while stressing that continuing staffing pressures meant opening the unit for 24 hours a day was not an option.

The health board considered in March whether 24-hour opening times could be reinstated at the minor injury unit, but members came to a decision that this was not possible.

Their decision was largely based on staffing pressures, with concerns that a robust 24-hour rota was not in place.

Following this, four long-term options for the service were outlined and a 12-week consultation held to gather views from patients, staff, the public and stakeholders.

The board decided on Thursday to opt for a 12-hour urgent care treatment centre which would see the minor injury unit and the same day emergency care services come together.

This would allow for more non-critical or life-threatening injuries and illnesses that need attention urgently to be seen and treated than currently possible.

Dr Jon Morris, clinical lead minor injuries, said this option would reduce the numbers of patients the unit has to redirect to other services.

"Since November 2024, we have been delivering a safe and effective level of care," he said.

He added they had managed to recruit staff recently, but "nowhere near enough" to go back to a 24-hour service.

Lee Davies, executive director of strategy and planning, said since reducing the minor injuries unit hours in November 2024, the service had still met the needs but with more control.

He said 12-hour delays had been eradicated and that patients and staff had a better experience.

"We're treating the right people, in the right place at the right times."

The Welsh government said the health board had not shared any of the proposals for the unit's future with it.

"Health boards and NHS trusts are responsible for ensuring they maintain their estate so people receive safe and sustainable services," it said.

"We continue to invest significant sums into the Welsh NHS, with more than £400m capital funding already been provided to organisations this current financial year."