STAFF at Okehampton and District Community Hospital this week issued advice to the public regarding out of hours procedures, following an incident that occurred on Boxing Day. Mark Buxton, an Okehampton resident, cut his finger with a knife in his kitchen just before 10pm on Boxing Day evening. The bleeding could not be stopped so Mr Buxton walked to Okehampton Hospital and arrived slightly after 10pm. He was aware that the minor injuries unit at the hospital closed at 10pm but thought he would be able to see a nurse or doctor who could treat his cut. His wife Annette Buxton said her husband rang on the hospital doorbell for half an hour but to no avail. She said: 'He returned home at 10.40pm with his finger still bleeding. He had rung on the door for thirty minutes but no one answered. 'The cut wasn't bad enough for us to travel all the way to Exeter but we had very little sleep that night as Mark had to keep his hand elevated to stop the bleeding.' A spokesman from the hospital said there was a 'very clear' sign on the front door advising people to press two buttons to activate the door bell. He said: 'If just one is pressed it only rings in the MIU which is closed after 10pm. However, when both buttons are pressed together it rings like a siren in every department. 'We'd like to remind the public that the MIU does close at 10pm but there are doctors on site until 11pm. 'The hospital would never turn anyone away who needed to see a doctor or a nurse and I have never known nurses to turn patients away.'
