Swanage’s out-of-hours medical service could face the axe (From Bournemouth Echo)

Swanage’s out-of-hours medical service could face the axe

7:00pm Monday 29th June 2009 in

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SWANAGE’S out-of-hours medical scheme could be on the verge of collapse.

The controversial service was set up when the town’s hospital’s minor injuries unit (MIU) began to close between 10pm and 8am.

After fierce protests to keep the unit open, campaigners, including the Open All Hours group, compromised on the out of hours plan, which includes having an Emergency Care Practitioner available.

The service has been on trial but Friends of Swanage Hospital chairman, Jan Turnbull, writing in her annual report, said there were “funding issues” threatening it.

In addition, Heather Cox, a retired nursing sister from Swanage, claims the ECP service – which was working successfully – could be withdrawn and the MIU reopened overnight.

She said: “This is an outrageous betrayal which we must resist. I find it totally unacceptable that the people living in Swanage and the surrounding areas will be discriminated against uniquely if the withdrawal of this vital service goes ahead while the remainder of Dorset continues to benefit from this service.

“To deny the service to Swanage and its outskirts at this time suggests only too strongly that it was put in place temporarily simply to pacify the protesters when the MIU closure was proposed.”

Gerry Norris, of the Open All Hours Group, which campaigned to keep the MIU open before compromising on the out of hours service, said she was still hopeful that a meeting with health chiefs tomorrow would bring a positive outcome.

Robin Smth, interim chief executive of NHS Dorset, said: “I have not made any decision to withdraw the current service and will discuss the matter with local people at a meeting to be held next week.”