A DISGRUNTLED Andover woman has launched a petition to restore normal opening hours at the town’s Minor Injuries Unit after being unable get treatment for her injured teenage granddaughter. Jenny Bowie’s 14-year-old granddaughter, Dani, suffered nasty bruising to her hand during a fall shortly before 3pm on Saturday, June 4. The concerned Armstrong Rise resident suspected the teenager may have broken her knuckle and rushed her to Andover War Memorial Hospital. But to the 56-year-old’s surprise, the Minor Injuries Unit was shut and Dani had to be taken to hospital in Winchester by her dad. The facility previously opened on weekday evenings and weekends, but the hours were slashed by more than half in March by operators Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The trust blamed “temporary staff shortage” for the cuts, which equated to a 48.5 hour reduction to opening hours each week. Following her recent experience, Mrs Bowie decided to launch a petition in an attempt to prompt the trust into restoring the Minor Injuries Unit to its original hours. The grandmother-of-two, who works as a service administrator, set up the change.org petition on Sunday. So far it has collected over 650 signatures and has been backed by dozens of Andover residents on social media. Mrs Bowie said: “It’s beyond belief that the service is open just five days a week. “People do get injured outside of office hours. “Patients are being directed to Winchester and Basingstoke, but there are people who can’t drive and the bus service can be difficult for some people. “Plus we live in a town that is growing rapidly, yet our services are being cut back. A lot of people need these services.” The petition coincides with a call to action by a Hampshire county councillor, Tony Hooke, who has demanded the trust’s chief executive, Mary Edwards, bring in agency staff to get the unit open “as soon as possible”. He told the Advertiser: “I think it is time for Mary Edwards to put the staff where her mouth is. “She needs to bring in agency staff or move experienced staff from Winchester or Basingstoke into Andover to train new staff quickly. This problem is solvable today. Why should Andover be left out? Andover needs these facilities now.” In a statement to the Advertiser, Mary Edwards said: “Our plan is still to open the Minor Injuries Unit at Andover in the evenings and at weekends later this summer. We are currently recruiting and training staff to ensure the unit can offer a safe service.” The trust did not respond to further requests for comment. Mrs Bowie’s petition can be found online at: www.change.org/p/hampshirehospitals-nhs-re-open-andoverminor-injuries-unit.
A petition has been launched to restore normal opening hours at the Minor Injuries Unit ( MIU ) at the War Memorial Hospital . Earlier this year , Hampshire Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust reduced the MIU 's opening hours by more than half , blaming a temporary staff shortage . Dr Mary Smith told the Hampshire Chronicle the trust is recruiting and training staff and plans to reopen the unit on weekdays and weekends " later this year " .