THE MINOR injury unit in Stroud has closed amid the nursing strikes. 

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust said the unit in Stroud plus one in Tewkesbury have been shut while another in Lydney is operating with reduced service.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it would aim to keep minor injury and illness units open, but “the level of coverage is subject to safe staffing levels on each day” as a result of the nursing strikes.

The priority will be to ensure the continued provision of services for mental health crises, palliative and end-of-life care and any time-sensitive or complex care for vulnerable patients, it said.

The chief medical officer at NHS Gloucestershire, Dr Andy Seymour, said: “One Gloucestershire health and care partners are working closely together to minimise disruption and ensure those in greatest need continue to have access to high quality care and support during the days of industrial action.

“The public can help too by thinking carefully about their healthcare options and getting advice when needed from NHS 111 and Asapglos NHS (website). Advice will also be available through local NHS social media channels.”