This Council notes that the closing of Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) during the COVID-19 pandemic was intended as a temporary measure. Council also notes that Altrincham MIU was reopened briefly in 2021 only to be closed again with “staffing issues” cited. This Council praises the work done by the Health Scrutiny Committee in its attempts to see Altrincham MIU reopened.
This Council is concerned by the additional pressures the continued closure of Altrincham MIU presents not just to A&E departments in Greater Manchester but also to GP Out-Of-Hours services run in Trafford. This Council is concerned that residents in Trafford with minor injuries are making longer journeys to A&E in Wythenshawe, and residents in South Trafford – in Altrincham, Timperley, Broadheath and Hale in particular – do not have ready access to minor injuries care within the borough. This Council notes that a two-day opening offer was developed but was rejected even though a two-day opening plan would be welcomed by residents if the alternative is no service offering at all.
With this in mind, this Council resolves to write to the following people asking them to support efforts to reopen Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit:
1. Mark Cubbon – Group Chief Executive of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
2. Sir Richard Leese – Chair of NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care.
3. Paul Dennett – Chair of the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
