In the week that saw the local NHS launch a summer campaign to help people choose the right service, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has officially opened Bodmin Minor Injury Unit in its new premises.

After over 20 years in Bodmin Hospital, the unit has moved out and relocated to the community diagnostic centre, which opened in December 2022.

Tamsin Fussell, Urgent Care Nurse Consultant, said: “We are really pleased to move into the new facilities within the community diagnostic centre. The new facilities include a triage room, 5 treatment bays, all with a specific clinical function. Moving into the community diagnostic centre gives us access to more diagnostic tests, for example CT scans.”

The unit is one of the county’s larger units. The team have already helped almost 11,700 patients in 2023 so far, and that’s before the start of their busiest month: August. Of the people who’ve used the minor injury unit this year, 834 needed help with a head injury, 323 with burns, and 157 with broken bones.

Laura Inniss, Advanced Clinical Practitioner Minor Injury Unit Lead, runs the unit. She said: “We have an amazing team that are competent and committed to our patients and our community.  We never know who is going to walk through the door, and this is part of what gives us passion and drive for as MIU Practitioners, its what makes us love our job.

“We’re 1 of 10 minor injury units across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and we’re a key part of the network of urgent and emergency care services. In most cases, we’re able to treat people quickly and efficiently so they can return home, but there are times when we need to transfer people to the emergency department because they are very unwell.

“We’re here every day from 8am to 10pm and we are a walk-in service, so no appointment is required.”

Phase 3 of the community diagnostic centre will see the second floor transformed into a multi-use clinical space with more diagnostic facilities. The diagnostic services available in Bodmin include x-ray, ultrasound and the county’s fifth CT scanner; is the only one east of Truro.