DERRIFORD Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) will move to the Nuffield Hospital as of tomorrow.

Emergencies classed as major will still be treated at A+E at Derriford.

The Nuffield Hospital is located just opposite Derriford and will be open from 8am – 10pm. Outside of these hours, the public should call 111 to access an out-of-hours service.

There are also Minor Injuries Units at Liskeard (8am – 10pm), Bodmin (8am – 10pm) and Launceston (8am - 8pm)

The decision to move minor injuries has been taken in order to protect members of the public who come to hospital for less serious illnesses and injuries from the risk of Covid-19.

The new MIU at Nuffield is a 'green zone' meaning no patients are attending with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, says the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

The Trust has set out what is classed as a minor or major injury:

Minor injuries

Cuts - we can use glue, steristrips (paper stitches) or sutures to close wounds

Small burns or scalds

Bites and stings

Sprains and certain fractures (upper and lower limbs)

Minor head injuries

Infected wounds

Foreign bodies in eyes

Major cases

Examples where it is right and appropriate to attend the Emergency Department without delay include:

Major injuries such as injuries from road traffic accidents

Falls from a considerable height

Major head injuries

Collapse

Severe breathing difficulty

Severe chest pain

Severe haemorrhage

Poisoning

Extensive burns

The Trust is keen to reassure the public that it is ‘business as usual’ for those people needing the Emergency Department.

David Brown, Director of Urgent and Emergency Care at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: 'Please be assured we are here for you and we’ve implemented these changes to ensure the service continues to run smoothly and people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.

'This move will make sure you are seen safely and quickly when you access emergency care from our specialist teams.

'NHS 111 telephone call handlers are ready to triage patients to the right location at the right time in order to protect them, maintain effective distancing measures, and help us to deliver the highest quality of care.'

All patients ‘self-presenting’ to either Derriford or Nuffield will have their temperature taken on arrival to screen for the virus.

If you have been self-isolating due to symptoms of the virus, please call 111 and do not attend the Nuffield site.