Barry Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit is to receive a £240,000 investment boost with work to install new X-ray equipment due to begin on Monday.
Barry HospitalIt will mean a more robust service for the public and is being described as evidence of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s commitment to the unit.
Work to install the new equipment will leave the unit without an X-ray facility for up to six weeks.
The majority of patients attending the unit require an x-ray as part of their care which would mean them having to travel again to University Hospital of Wales. In light of that the health board has decided to temporarily close the service while the improvement works are carried out. All other services at the hospital will remain unaffected.
Alice Casey, the Chief Operating Officer for the health board, said: “This is great news and shows how much the health board values the Minor Injuries Unit at Barry Hospital.
“It does mean that there will be a temporary disruption to the service but it will come back much stronger, very shortly.
“This is a significant investment that will mean a better service for Vale of Glamorgan residents.”
The work will begin on Monday (16th March) and is expected to take up to six weeks.
While the service is temporarily closed anyone needing care for minor injuries is advised to contact their GP or NHS Direct. If they require urgent care they should attend one of the emergency units at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant or University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
There have been a number of issues with the current equipment which has broken down in the past.
Sharon O’Brien, the Lead Nurse for Emergency Medicine, said the investment would put an end to those problems.
She said: “We are very sorry for the disruption this work will cause but it is really great news for Barry Hospital.
“It will mean staff will have reliable, state of the art equipment which will help them provide a better service for patients.
“When the unit reopens we will be encouraging more people to make use of it as it is a fantastic service that is able to see and treat minor injuries very, very quickly.”
