MINOR Injury Units at the Dilke and Lydney hospitals are giving a good service to the community, says Gloucestershire Care Services.

Patients are being seen and treated quickly and receiving high quality care.

The majority of patients who come to the Minor Injury Units (MIU) at seven of Gloucestershire Care Services' community hospitals are seen and treated within two hours. The national target is four hours. 

Some 93 per cent of patients accessing the service have a waiting time of less than two hours, while 99.9 per cent of patients are seen within the national four-hour target time. The average waiting time between April and October 2011 was 39 minutes.

"Emergency Nurse Prac­titioners at Gloucestershire Care Services' community hospitals are trained to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible while providing the highest quality NHS care," says a spokesman.

"The service provided by the MIUs is continually monitored to ensure that it meets national and local quality standards."

Penny Harris, chief executive designate of Gloucestershire Care Services, said: "We know that patients appreciate being able to access treatment for minor injuries closer to home in our community hospitals. 

"Our Minor Injury Units deliver high quality NHS care in the heart of communities with patients able to access quick, effective treatment, including at the weekends and in the evenings."