Minor Injury Service Moves to Wincanton Health Centre

A new Minor Injury service is being provided by Wincanton Health Centre, effective from 2nd January 2014. The move comes after concerns about low attendance and the cost effectiveness of maintaining Wincanton Community Hospital's existing Treatment Centre.

Talks between Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, (currently responsible for managing the community hospital's Minor Injuries service), and the Wincanton Health Centre have resulted in an agreement to provide a nurse-led minor injuries and minor ailments service from the Wincanton Health Centre.

The centre will not only have slightly longer opening hours than the previous service (it will be open for an hour and a half longer each day) but also benefit from additional back-up from the practice's family doctors when necessary.

Dr Iain Phillips, a GP at the Wincanton Health Centre and chairman of the South Somerset Healthcare Federation of GPs, said:

"We are pleased to be able to offer a local minor injury and minor ailment service from the Health Centre and believe it will provide an effective service in a convenient location for the public.

"We were concerned about the relatively low numbers of people attending the community hospital's Treatment Centre. We therefore wanted to ensure that a minor injury service remained within the town and we are pleased to be able to offer such a service to the local community."

From Thursday 2nd January 2014 Wincanton Health Centre will be providing minor injury services from their premises in Dykes Way, Wincanton, BA9 9FQ. Wincanton Community Hospital will no longer be providing the service. Patients should come instead come to the Wincanton Health Centre.

The new minor injuries service will open from 8.30am until 6.00pm, Monday to Friday (not at weekends or Bank Holidays).

The telephone number of Wincanton Health Centre's Minor Injury service is: 01963 435700.

The Minor Injury and ailment service will

• remove foreign bodies from ears, noses etc
• remove splinters
• dress minor wounds, cuts and grazes
• provide screening and treatment for Chlamydia

and treat

• sprains and strains
• minor burns and scalds
• minor head injuries
• insect and animal bites
• minor eye injuries
• other minor injuries

Unsure what to do or where to go for treatment?

Members of the public who are not sure what health service they may require for their level of illness or injury can telephone 111.

This new telephone number is the one to call if you need medical advice or treatment quickly and cannot wait for an appointment to see your doctor. It's also free to call from a mobile or landline.

If you or a family member are experiencing a life threatening emergency (such as heart attack, stroke, severe loss of blood or unconsciousness) you should always telephone 999.

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