By Helen Clarke

PEOPLE with non-serious injuries could help relieve pressure on the Alexandra Hospital's accident and emergency department by travelling to nearby hospitals for quicker treatment in minor injuries units (MIUs).

Maria Wilday, modern matron from Bromsgrove's Princess of Wales Community Hospital, told a meeting of the Redditch Forum that more and more people were now starting to use the hospital's MIU, freeing up vital resources for patients with more serious injuries at the Alexandra.

Mrs Wilday said: "Patients with non-serious injuries who attend the Alex may have to wait up to four hours for treatment.

"If they travel to Bromsgrove's MIU, they could be seen in as little as 15 minutes."

A Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said: "It's important people get the right treatment in the right place at the right time - and certainly the large number of patients who use our MIU at Kidderminster Hospital every year reflects the valuable role such units can play.

"We've made tremendous progress in our A&E units in bringing down waiting times, and we now routinely hit the national target of treating and discharging or admitting 98 per cent of patients within four hours.

"But if patients can be treated appropriately in an MIU without the need to travel to an acute A&E unit, then that's good for the patients and helpful for us."

There has been discussion of installing equipment at the Alexandra to inform people how long waiting times are at Bromsgrove's MIU.