HEALTH campaigners have welcomed plans to extend the opening hours at the town hospital's minor injuries unit.

Members of the Redditch and Bromsgrove Primary Care Trust were due to meet yesterday (Tuesday) to discuss plans to extend opening hours at the Princess of Wales Hospital's injuries unit.

There had been some uncertainty about its future.

The minor injuries unit is currently open from 9am-5pm on Mondays to Fridays but under the new scheme its opening hours would be extended from 8am to 8pm and it would be open at weekends from 12noon to 8pm.

The scheme would mean extra staff being taken on and current staff working more closely with the accident and emergency department at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Dr Bill Borastero, chairman of the PCT's professional executive committee, said: "This is really good news for the people of Bromsgrove. We have worked hard over the past year with local people and staff to ensure that we come to an arrangement that suits everybody."

Kath Tedstone, ex-joint chairman of the community health council, said: "I welcome the proposal. If the new hours are applied and new staff appointed, I can see a massive benefit to the people of Bromsgrove."

However, the planned boost for the minor injuries unit follows news that Barnt Green GP surgeries will be closing on Saturday mornings starting from this Saturday.

The news is the first step in a series of changes which will see the out of hours service come further into effect.

The service is currently the responsibility of GPs but it will be taken over by the Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT from November 1, when the rest of the town's surgeries come in line with Barnt Green and will also close on Saturday mornings. Patients needing to contact their GP in an emergency on Saturday mornings will need to ring the Worcester GP out of hours service on 0845 609 0669.

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