CHEPSTOW Hospital's minor injuries unit closed on Monday with health chiefs saying the low number of patients made it "unsafe" because staff do not get enough practice.

Officials from the Aneurin Bevan Health Board set out the reasons for the closure of the unit to Chepstow town councilors at a meeting last week.

Town mayor Henry Hodges said: "Their argument is that it is unsafe because so few people use it that staff cannot keep their professional standards up to date.

"They also said that people were going there with conditions such as heart attacks but the ambulance service was not responding quickly because they are at a hospital which the ambulance service regards as a place of safety.

"I don't think anyone was convinced by the arguments – surely they can instruct the ambulance service that the unit doesn't have the facilities to deal with heart attacks and so it is not a place of safety.

"I think they were quite defensive and seeking to justify their decision. The way the service has been cut shows that for some time they did not want people to use it."

Chepstow is one of three Gwent units being closed and patients from south Monmouthshire are being advised to travel to the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

A health board spoke-sman said: "Aneurin Bevan Health Board has looked closely at the numbers of patients and the types of injuries and conditions that have been seen at the minor injuries units in Chepstow Hospital, County Hospital (Pontypool) and Monnow Vale health and social care facility (Monmouth) and found that the very low numbers of patients attending these units meant that the health board could no longer provide a safe and sustainable service from these units."

Cllr Hodges said that although the board says the minor injuries unit at the Royal Gwent had been improved and was separate to the very busy accident and emergency department, people were trying to avoid going to Newport.

He said: "There was a heated discussion about the Royal Gwent and I know that some people are travelling to the Dilke Hospital in Cinderford to avoid having to go to Newport."

The health board has produced a leaflet giving advice on which service to choose – minor injury, doctor or hospital – if you are unwell or injured. It is available from the board's website http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866">www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866