Patient Information

The minor injuries unit provides a comprehensive nurse-led service for people who have a range of minor injuries as defined below:-

• Minor head injuries with no loss of consciousness.
• Uncomplicated fractures between shoulder to fingers and knee to toes
• Minor burns and scalds. (All airway/inhalation burns must attend A&E)
• Foreign bodies in eyes, abrasions of cornea.
• Retained foreign body such as fishhook.
• Bites and stings (with no associated anaphylaxis).
• Sprains and strains.
• Animal bites.
• Foreign bodies, ear, nose & throat
• Chest injury without difficulty in breathing
• Facial injuries.
• Firework injuries
• Mouth injuries
• Neck injuries
• Minor road collisions
• Closure of laceration wounds by suturing, stapling, gluing or steristrip

Following your attendance at MIU a referral to other services such as your GP surgery can be made for ongoing treatment or support if required.

Please attend A&E if you have a:

• wound with glass/metal/foreign body in child under 7
• wound with glass/metal/foreign body which presents outside x-ray hours (see below for x-ray)
• wound with arterial bleed
• airway/inhalation burns

Please seek emergency treatment by ringing 999 or attending A&E if you have: -

• acute abdominal, chest or back pain
• head injury with loss of consciousness
• major chest injury
• difficulty in breathing
• complicated fractures
• acute psychiatric episode
• diabetic or epileptic emergencies.

Please seek help from your own GP or 111 for Minor illnesses such as:-

• Cough, sore throat.
• Pain for an existing condition
• Joint or back pain not related to an injury
• Dressing changes for existing wounds.
• In growing toenails
• Gout

The above lists are not exhaustive.

X-rays

Following clinical assessment, if indicated, an x-ray can be carried out on site Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm. Weekends and bank holidays from 10am to 2.00pm.

X-rays can be carried out for injuries between the shoulder and fingers and the knee to the toes only.

X-ray at MIU is not available for children under seven years of age due to the complexity of interpreting results.

Your GP can request that you have an x-ray without the need to attend MIU first . You can arrange this by calling 01268 524900.