Local hospital opens new off-campus minor injuries unit
Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar opened a new off campus Minor Injury Unit (MIU) at Charter Medical Private Hospital, Ballinderry on, Monday, November 6.
The new public unit will be open seven days a week (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm, closed on bank holidays). Most importantly, the waiting times at the unit will be significantly less than at the main Emergency Department where staff prioritise treating acutely ill patients.
“There is a very short turn around, a maximum of probably two hours and that includes full assessment, treatment and diagnostic,” MRH Mullingar manager Kay Slevin explained.
At other hospitals around the country, the opening of dedicated MIUs has helped take the pressure off the main emergency department and reduced waiting times. Ms Slevin says that the new facility opening on Monday should have a similar effect for patients and staff in Mullingar as a significant number of self referrals, in particular, to the ED, are diagnosed as having minor injuries.
“We know that minor injury units significantly ease pressure on a hospital’s emergency department. The opening of this new MIU in Mullingar means that patients will receive the right care at the right place, at the right time. They will also receive that care faster than if they were to attend a busy emergency department, where more acutely ill patients must be treated as a priority.”
Patients without medical cards who attend the new MIU service will be charged a fee of €75, which is €25 less than what they would have to pay if they were to attend the Emergency Department. There is no charge for patients who have medical card or who have a referral letter from either their General Practice or from the ED.
Injuries that will be treated at the IMU include suspected broken bones to arm (from collar bone to fingertip), suspected broken bones in legs (from knees to toes), sprains and strains, wounds, bites (animal or insect) cuts, grazes and scalp laceration, minor burns and scalds, foreign bodies and minor chest injuries
The new MIU will also provide full imaging and x-ray facilities in order for patients to be fully diagnosed and treated onsite.
The MIU has been located at Charter Medical Private Hospital due to the shortage of available space at Mullingar hospital, at present. However, with a number of major capital projects on the horizon this could change, Ms Slevin says.
“It's located there because we don't have space here at the moment, but it is essentially an extension of our own Emergency Department. At the end of the six-month pilot period, we will review the operations... All of the systems, the diagnostic systems, the patients' records and everything will be here on site. It's literally the physical location of the MIU that will be offsite for the initial months.
“We are delighted with this new development and extension to our hospital services and more importantly for our patients presenting with minor injuries who previously found themselves waiting for longer periods of time in the Emergency Department. The new MIU is a walk-in service with no referral necessary and full diagnostics are available on site.
"The development of a Minor Injury Unit will also benefit our excellent and committed Emergency Department staff who continue to provide a valued emergency service to our patients,” added Ms Slevin.
The news has also been welcomed by Deputy Robert Troy who says that the opening of MIU should help the main Emergency Department run more efficiently.