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PROTESTORS campaigning for the reinstatement of a Minor Injuries Unit at Melksham Hospital have received a boost from the county council.

Mary Jarvis and Gill Butler took a petition they organised to Wiltshire County Council's cabinet meeting in Trowbridge on Tuesday.

The two collected 12,429 signatures between November and January, which they say represents almost 60 per cent of the entire population in the Melksham area.

The cabinet decided to refer the closure of the MIU to its health overview & scrutiny committee to see whether adequate health services are still being provided to people in the area.

Leader of the county council Cllr Jane Scott told them she agreed it was ludicrous that the Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is not accountable to anyone.

Mrs Jarvis said: "It was amazing to hear that people who actually work in the system cannot make the PCT answerable.

"We worked out that 57 per cent of people in the Melksham Community Area signed the petition - we've had a phenomenal response and we haven't had to pigeon people to sign it either.

"When the PCT carried out their consultation they only had replies from about two per cent of Melksham people, and most of those were objections."

Melksham's MIU closed on September 30 leaving patients to travel to either Trowbridge or Chippenham hospitals.

Cllr Roy While, chairman of the overview committee, said: "Obviously we are concerned. First of all we have to sit down with the PCT and consider what problems they are encountering. Then if the problems continue alternatives will have to be considered.

"I know the petition calls for the reinstatement of the MIU, but we have to start somewhere.

"In the next few months we will be monitoring the minor injury services implementation and discussing it with the PCT."

If anyone experiences problems with the PCT they should contact the Patient Advice Liaison Service on 0800 3897671.

9:12am Friday 28th March 2008

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