People power breakthrough for minor injuries unit

A minor injuries unit looks set to be on its way to St Mark’s Hospital this summer thanks to the people of Maidenhead.

Berkshire East Primary Care Trust’s board agreed the move on Friday after they received a 3,000-strong petition, part of the Who Cares Wins campaign led by the Advertiser and Theresa May MP.

Details need to be confirmed, but the centre could be open from 9am to 7pm and fielded by one or two nurse practitioners with support staff.

However, the service will be subject to review every three months with the option to shut it if deemed not viable. The pilot is scheduled to run until March 2009, when a full evaluation will take place.

Mrs May said: "I was pleased to join forces with the Maidenhead Advertiser to campaign for this extra service at St Mark's. Thousands of people signed the petition supporting the unit and it is clear that the Trust has listened to what we told them. But it is only a pilot and we will need to keep up the pressure to ensure this unit becomes permanent."

However, in a controversial move, beds at the Charles Ward, which deals with elderly inpatients with dementia and Alzheimer's, will be moved to Slough’s Upton Hospital. 

See this Thursday's Advertiser for the full story.