UPDATED: Campaigners claim the ‘last Minor Injuries Unit in North Devon’ will close

Demonstrators will gather outside the Tyrrell Hospital in Ilfracombe on Friday (July 18) to protest against a ‘lack of answers’ over what happens when the Minor Injuries Unit contract finishes at the end of July.

The hospital had provided a weekend-only minor injuries service staffed by private paramedics, but its last day is on July 27, which they say leaves North Devon with no MIU at all.

The League of Friends of the Tyrrell Hospital has organised the 1pm protest outside the hospital and has urged as many people as possible to go along and show their support.

READ MORE: Health authorities respond to claims Ilfracombe will lose its MIU service

They say while South Devon has 10 community hospitals with MIUs, most running seven days a week, it will leave North Devon with no service at all and most patients end up having to travel to A&E at North Devon District Hospital.

Royal Devon NHS Trust says it has not confirmed the next steps yet with local people and the community it is still exploring options

READ MORE: North Devon is ‘left out’ in north-south health divide, meeting is told

On paper, Combe Coastal Practice is intended as an MIU during week days but Terry Elliott from the Tyrrell LoF pointed out it was not a walk in service and the surgery often did not have the capacity to see extra patients.

She added: “People have to ring and wait for a doctor to call back and tell them whether they can be seen.

“Unfortunately most people are told to go to NDDH.

“Pre Covid we had a seven day a week minor injuries service at the Tyrrell run by qualified acute care nurses. These nurses were taken to NDDH during Covid and never returned.”

The League lobbied for an MIU to be reinstated and a weekend service was commissioned to be run by private ambulance service First Care, but a far more limited service than that of a standard MIU.

Terry said: “Unfortunately there were procedures these paramedics were not allowed to do, but which would normally be provided at an MIU. This included minor stitching and prescribing antibiotics.

“These poor paramedics also never knew when or if the service would end as they were limping along having the contract renewed for short time periods such as three months or six months.

“I think First Care wanted to invest in more training so the paramedics could do more, but the instability of very short term contracts meant it was unviable.”

READ MORE: Changes to Ilfracombe minor injuries services from April 2024

The League of Friends points out South, Mid and East Devon have 10 community hospitals with MIUs, as well as the main hospitals.

Some of these are a short distance from each other and many operate seven days a week, including Tiverton, Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Ottery ST Mary, Exmouth, Tavistock and Kingsbridge, plus Honiton when its revamp is finished.

Terry said: “Some of these are a short distance from each other and some cover a smaller population than Ilfracombe and surrounding areas and yet the Royal Devon Healthcare Trust and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) imply that our population is not big enough.

“When is North Devon and Ilfracombe with the worst health statistics in Devon, going to receive an equal and comparable health service to South Devon? We get thousands and thousands of visitors every year to add to numbers.

“Decisions should be about need not just raw numbers. So many people in Ilfracombe will struggle to get to Barnstaple for minor injuries urgent treatment.

“North Devon and Ilfracombe deserve better.”

The North Devon Gazette has contacted Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for comment.