HEALTH bosses have denied it plans to close the Minor Injuries Unit at Dawlish Community Hospital until March.

However Torbay and South Devon Healthcare Trust admitted ‘staffing problems’ have forced the unit to shut ‘temporarily’ at short notice.

The comments come after county councillor Rosie Dawson claimed the unit will be closed until March next year ‘with no public consultation or announcement’.

She believes the unit, which eventually reopened in April last year after being shut for four years, was ‘set up to fail’.

The possibly of the unit closing has been described by residents as ‘outrageous’ and ‘insane’.

NHS Devon is currently reviewing all MIUs across the county but the trust says no decisions have been made.

In recent weeks, there have been numerous days when the unit has had to shut and in one week, it was only open for a day.

The trust also says there has been ‘low attendance’.

But supporters argue this is due to persistent closures and uncertainty over the unit’s availability.

When it reopened last April, it was popular with patients with minor illnesses and injuries.

In the first five months after it reopened, staff treated 1,300 patients.

Cllr Dawson said: ‘It’s one thing coming up with a new model of health service delivery but leaving this community again with no service is not right.

‘This is short sighted, weighted against people with lower incomes and does not reflect the needs of the community.’

The ‘temporary’ closures have been ongoing for months.

Geoff King, chairman of the Friends of Dawlish Hospital which campaigned to get the unit reopened, said: ‘The very point that people will not use the MIU if it cannot give a reliable service has been fundamental to my arguments for the last 10 years.

‘They also don't appear to understand that if the MIU isn't open the attendance numbers will be down.’

It was also claimed that the trust’s website was ‘unhelpful’ by advertising the MIU was closed until further notice.

And on Tuesday, there was a notice outside announcing it was closed.

Mr King added a few weeks ago, despite information the unit was closed, when he rang for an appointment, he was seen ‘almost immediately’.

A Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: ‘Since Dawlish Minor Injuries Unit reopened in April 2024, we’ve experienced low attendance rates and ongoing staffing challenges to provide a safe and consistent service.

‘Our attempts to recruit and use agency staff have been unsuccessful, resulting in us making difficult decisions to temporarily close the MIU at short notice at various times, and then moving staff to our urgent treatment centre in Newton Abbot when required.

‘We recognise the disruption this has caused, but ensuring safe staffing levels is our priority.

‘NHS Devon is reviewing MIUs and UTCs across Devon and we await the outcome of its review.

'No decision has been made about any service, including Dawlish, and we encourage people to continue to use our MIUs and UTC, and to contact their GP in the first instance for routine health advice.

‘We apologise for any inconvenience caused and want to thank people for their support and understanding.’