'Frustration' over on-going closure of Solihull Hospital's minor injuries unit

University Hospital's Birmingham Trust said the hospital was helping with the backlog of elective surgeries

People living in Solihull need to know when the borough's minor injuries unit is reopening, the council's Conservative deputy leader says.

Solihull Hospital closed the facility in May 2020 to keep the site Covid-free and to only carry out elective surgery.

But that has led to extra pressures on GP's, Heartlands Hospital or residents travelling further from the borough, Councillor Karen Grinsell said.

The NHS trust said the site was helping with the backlog from the pandemic.

Residents were growing increasingly frustrated at not knowing what was happening and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust needed to provide an answer, Ms Grinsell .

"Through the pandemic when it became a Covid-free hospital for elective surgery we were mindful and understanding that was happening and the risk posed by people coming in with minor injuries," she said.

"But it's having an impact on GP's, West Midlands Ambulance Service, other A&E's and making people travel to other places to get treatment."

She said there was an urgent treatment centre in the north of the town, but she knew some residents were travelling to Warwick, Bromsgrove and Redditch for care.

Ms Grinsell said a petition she started last September calling for an update from the trust and further investment in the hospital has now reached 10,509 signatures.

Councillor Steve Caudwell from the Green party said it was "essential" the unit was reopened as soon as possible.

"It is vital for local residents to be able to access healthcare close to where they live, and getting over to Heartlands or QE is really difficult if you haven't got private transport," he said.

"We need the council to be working with the NHS management to get this done as a matter of urgency.

"On the wain"

Liberal Democrat councillor Laura McCarthy said her party was "horrified" at downgrading of the hospital.

"We've been fighting for years on this - we were against the closure of the ambulance station and the maternity unit.

"It feels like the hospital is being consistently downgraded. People don't know where to go for care."

Alan Rebeiro an Independent councillor, said local services were necessary, but seemed "to be on the wain".

"With everything that's gone on over the years, there's been services that have been diminished - the loss of mental health services for example - and every closure is an added frustration for people.

"You need a service that's on your doorstep... and the loss of A&E and any other other diminishing of services is very regrettable."

There are no Labour councillors at the authority.

In a statement hospital officials said there was no date to reopen it currently.

"There are considerable waiting lists for urgent surgical procedures, due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, so the capacity that Solihull Hospital provides is absolutely essential to help treat as many patients as possible, in a timely way," the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group said.

Any long-term or permanent decisions about potential changes would be subject to engagement with residents and stakeholders, they added.