MONMOUTH Labour AM candidate, Catherine Fookes, has vowed to continue to campaign for the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Chepstow Hospital to reopen.

Ms Fookes wrote to the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) last month to express residents’ concerns about the lack of a MIU in Chepstow. She told the board she would like to see it reinstated to serve the needs of a growing community.

The health board has told Ms Fookes that it will not consider reopening the MIU.

She says: “This is wrong and disappointing, especially in light of the recent request that patients with minor injuries avoid A&E at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall hospitals as they may face long delays. The ABUHB now urges patients to attend Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr hospital in Ystrad Mynach. This is a 64-mile round trip from Chepstow and public transport for this journey is non-existent – I will continue the campaign to get it reopened if I am elected to the Assembly in May.”

A spokesperson from the ABUHB told the

Review: “The board previously reviewed all minor injury services across Gwent in partnership with Aneurin Bevan Community Health Council during 2011/2012. This review was initiated due to very low numbers of patients using services in some locations and therefore staff were not seeing enough patients to keep their clinical skills up-to-date and continue to provide a service which met national standards.

“This review resulted in a decision to close the minor injury unit in Chepstow Hospital in 2012. Following the closure, ABUHB monitored the impact of this closure.

It was demonstrated that as a result there was not a major increase in the number of patients accessing the unit in the Royal Gwent Hospital. It would appear that patients have either managed their own care or sought advice appropriately from their GP, optometrist or community pharmacist.”