Have your say future of our minor injuries unite.

THE minor injury unit at Clacton
Hospital could be scrapped as part of plans for a major shake-up of urgent care services in north Essex.
A public consultation will take place in January to decide the future of walk-in centres and minor injury units in Harwich, Colchester and Dovercourt’s Fryatt,
The contract for the units will expire in March 2018, so bosses are looking at three options for the future of the services.
The North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group says it wants to “reshape” the services so they are simpler for patients to access, while acknowledging the limited resources and funding available.
One option would see all three units close.
Patients would be encouraged to call NHS 111, visit their local GP, or even provide care for themselves.
A report to the commissioning group’s board said this option would lead to a “patient safety risk.”
It read: “Those patients with a minor injury that are unable to be treated by their GP would have no alternative than to go to A&E. This is likely to create additional pressure on A&E by pushing up the numbers of patients.

“There is also a patient safety risk by increased numbers which could result in long waiting times and overcrowding in busy clinical areas.”
A second option would deliver a single minor injury service somewhere in north Essex, located wherever there is greatest need, likely to be Colchester, meaning the Clacton, Harwich and Dovercourt’s Fryatt, would close.
The third option is to continue with all three
“I’m hugely concerned, but not surprised the option to close the minor injury unit has been floated.
“This would be on top of the decision to close the maternity unit.
“Harwich is consistently taking the brunt of these decisions.”
A public consultation will run from January to March with a final decision expected in May.