HEALTH bosses have announced another week long closure of Dawlish Community Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit.

The unit will be closed all this week, until November 30, making it the second week in succession it has been shut.

A spokesman for Torbay and South Devon Healthcare Trust said: ‘We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.’

Describing the latest closure as ‘temporary’, the trust recommends visiting either the Urgent Treatment Centre at Newton Abbot or the Minor Injuries Unit at Totnes which still remains open.

The second week’s closure again raises the issue of the unit’s future.

NHS England has set out a national requirement that Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) should no longer be offered as standalone services by next April.

Dawlish MIU has been plagued by staffing issues in recent months and has been closed on numerous occasions.

There are fears the unit may be shut until March.

Closures have been blamed previously on staff shortages and there were concerns equipment had been removed recently, prompting fears it may be shut longer.

Health bosses confirmed some drugs and crutches were moved to another service but insisted stock will be available at the MIU for patients who require them.

A Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said when the unit was closed last week: ‘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 difficult decisions to temporarily close the MIU at short notice.

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

‘We can confirm Dawlish MIU is not permanently closed until March 2026, although there may be times when we have to temporarily close the service at short notice if we are unable to provide safe staffing levels

‘NHS Devon is reviewing MIUs and UTCs across Devon.

‘No decision will be made about any service, including Dawlish, until this review has concluded.’