Chippenham’s Minor Injury Unit (MIU) is now open for people who have called NHS 111 and been given an appointment.

This change is in line with the national ‘Talk before you Walk’ scheme designed to keep both patients and staff safe.

Patients are told not to ‘walk in’ without appointments, which are issues by NHS 111 or by a doctor.

A spokesman for the MIU said: “An initial telephone assessment by NHS 111 means that patients receive the individual care they need quickly, by the right healthcare professional, in the right place.

“A patient could be given an appointment to attend MIU or if they have an illness directed to their GP surgery. It could be that the local pharmacist may be able to help.”

Appointments are available Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm and currently there is no x-ray facility on site.

The nurse led facility is equipped to treat sprains and strains, minor burns, wound infections, animal bites, and minor injuries to the eye or head.

Anyone with a life-threatening condition is urged to call 999 and those experience coronavirus symptoms are asked not to attend any medical setting unless instructed by NHS 111 or a 999 operator.

Douglas Blair, managing director of Wiltshire Health and Care, which runs the MIUs in Chippenham and Trowbridge, said: “We continually review our services to ensure that our frontline clinical staff are available to provide care for those who need it most and patient safety is at the heart of our service delivery.

“Chippenham MIU is open for booked appointments and, once we are assured that the system is working well, we will reopen the MIU at Trowbridge Community Hospital on the same appointment basis.”

Chippenham MIU closed in April after a decline in the number of patients attending since the start of the pandemic.

Staff employed at the unit were redeployed to help look after patients across the local health and care system.