Plea over Altrincham General Hospital's minor injuries unit as closure looms

Councillors on a health watchdog body are demanding that the planned permanent closure of Altrincham General Hospital’s minor injuries unit is subject to high-level public consultation. The call by Trafford’s health scrutiny committee has been made ahead of a crunch decision due at a meeting Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The board meets on Wednesday (September 18) where the axe could fall on the unit which has been closed since the first Covid pandemic lockdown four years ago. Difficulties across the country in recruiting the necessary emergency nurses have been cited as one of the reasons for its possible demise.

Public health officials have recommended that the unit that occupies two rooms at Altrincham's hospital should never reopen and that patients should instead go to the wythenshawe-hospital>Wythenshawe Hospital’s urgent care facility. But this has sparked an outcry from opposition councillors on the Labour-controlled Trafford council as well as from Altrincham and Sale West MP Connor Rand.

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There is disquiet over the fact that the only urgent care facilities for residents of the borough will be at Trafford General Hospital - in the north - and Wythenshawe, with none in south Trafford. Liberal Democrats want the minor injuries unit - these facilities have been phased out by the NHS - to be replaced by an urgent treatment centre, similar to those at Trafford General Hospital and Wythenshawe.

The issue dominated the discussion during the delivery of an urgent care review report by Trafford’s deputy place lead Gareth James at last night’s scrutiny committee meeting. Chair Coun Dylan Butt led