TAVISTOCK’S Minor Injury Unit (MIU) is to open to the public for seven days a week from Monday (June 29) after almost a year of uncertainty — but with a change of opening hours.

The unit will be open from 8.30am to 5.30pm each day.

In August 2019, the unit, which ran from 9am to 10pm every day, was closed due to staffing shortages and patients were asked to use minor injury units in Launceston, Liskeard, Okehampton or Plymouth.

The service was reopened in January this year, for five days a week — with an intention to return to a seven-day service later in the year.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust announced the welcome news on Monday that Tavistock would be able to extend its opening hours to once again include weekends.

The MIU is an alternative to attending the emergency department when an injury is not considered life-threatening, but still requires urgent treatment.

Diane Oliver, matron for MIU Tavistock said: ‘We’re very pleased to have a full team embedded and ready to return to a seven day service to support people in the local area.’

Tavistock mayor Anne Johnson said it was ‘fantastic news’ the service would be open every day: ‘I’m really pleased to hear that the Minor Injury Unit at Tavistock Hospital will, from the end of June, be open seven days a week. It’s a much needed and valuable facility for our growing town and the surrounding area.’

Tavistock north ward councillor James Ellis added: ‘The MIU is a valuable resource for the people of Tavistock and surrounding areas.

‘It’s absolutely fantastic news and I’m sure everyone will be pleased that the resources and staff have been provided to run this much needed service seven days a week.’

When the temporary closure of the MIU was put in place, Caroline Dawe, care group manager for medicine at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said at the time that the opening hours of the service would be ‘looked at’. ‘We are trying to build an improved programme — how we can do more and efficiently run the service. We do need to think about Tavistock’s opening hours. The service was run from 9am to 10pm but after 6pm there was really only a very small number of people attending. We need to maximise the staff’s time.’