Portland Hospital has suffered another blow with the revelation that there are no plans to reopen its minor injuries unit for the foreseeable future.

The minor injuries unit (MIU) at Portland Hospital was temporarily closed during lockdown. But while other MIUs in the county reopened in March, Dorset HealthCare University Trust said staff shortages meant Portland’s unit could not reopen – vowing to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

However the Trust has now declined to comment on whether it plans to reopen a Portland minor injuries unit, or whether any attempt has been made to recruit staff.

Minor injuries provisions are now being “delivered differently," according to a statement on the Trust's website, while a spokesperson said that attendance figures from Portland MIU have been absorbed by the urgent treatment centre at Weymouth Hospital.

Jo Dolbear, of the Portland Carers and Portland Hospital Development Group, recently campaigned for Covid vaccination clinics to be held at Portland Hospital. She is concerned that Dorset HealthCare has underestimated the community need for Portland Hospital - particularly as staff at the vaccine clinics had to travel off the island to collect more vaccines due to high demand during the morning of the first clinic, held last week. 

“It makes one wonder why it was assumed the uptake would be so low,” Mrs Dolbear said. “I seriously hope the success of the clinics will go a long way to assuring that Portland Hospital is here to stay – it is highly valued by the local population.”

She also explained how the loss of a local MIU and X-ray facility has placed significant additional financial and emotional strain upon Portland’s unpaid carers – many of whom have had to give up work or reduce working hours to care for a loved one, and must now travel off the island with patients.

“To have that MIU open again would be a godsend – particularly with current high demand on local GP surgeries," she added. "It’s absurd not to have it back.”

Last month Blandford MIU reopened and is now open two days per week. Portland's unit is the only MIU in Dorset that remains closed.

A spokesperson for Dorset HealthCare said: “We were forced to close some of our minor injuries units (MIUs) – including the one at Portland Hospital – early in the Covid-19 pandemic to help minimise the spread of the virus and cope with staff absences.

“While restrictions have now eased, these factors remain an issue and we haven’t yet been able to fully restore pre-pandemic opening times across our MIU network. However, these arrangements are constantly under review.

“We continue to ensure there is face-to-face urgent care provision close to anyone who needs it. Despite the partial closure of Dorset’s MIU network, attendances at available units have markedly increased compared to pre-pandemic levels – with almost 93,000 appointments projected for this year compared with just under 57,000 for the whole of 2019.

“In particular, figures indicate that the activity previously seen at Portland has been absorbed by the nearby Urgent Treatment Centre at Weymouth.”