A DATE has been announced for the closure of Orsett Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), with its services to be transferred to Thurrock Community Hospital on Long Lane in Grays.

The MIU will close its doors for the last time at 12noon on Friday, 30 October.

A minor injuries service supporting patients across Thurrock, Basildon, Brentwood and surrounding areas will move to the Long Lane site from Monday, 2 November.

The new MIU, which will continue to be run by North East London NHS Foundation Trust, will be located alongside the Community Diagnostic Centre that opened in October last year.

NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) has secured nearly £1 million of national funding to support the move and improvements to the John Tallack Centre where the MIU will be based.

The new MIU will provide the same seven-day walk-in service from 10am to 7.30pm for minor injuries such as wounds, bumps, sprains, broken bones, minor eye injuries, and minor burns. The x-ray service, provided at the Community Diagnostic Centre, will have longer opening hours from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

Samantha Goldberg, Executive Director of Commissioning Acute and Adult Mental Health Services at NHS Essex ICB said: "This is more than a change of location. It is part of an investment programme to improve and expand urgent care services for people across south west and mid Essex.

"People across Essex have told us that faster diagnosis and treatment should be a top priority. Moving the MIU to Thurrock Community Hospital, alongside the Community Diagnostic Centre, will help bring more care, tests and treatment together in one place, providing a more efficient and convenient service for patients.

"As part of our five-year plan for the NHS in Essex, we want to build on this by developing a future Urgent Treatment Centre, that will be able to care for more people with a wider range of urgent injuries and illnesses and helping reduce avoidable pressure on local emergency departments."

The relocated service will be provided by the same staff who currently provide the MIU at Orsett hospital.

The ICB says: "As well as providing more streamlined patient care the upgraded MIU will provide a better environment for patients and staff.

"A larger waiting area will have space for people to sit inside once they have been booked in which is a better patient experience than at Orsett Hospital site.

Gill Burns, Service Director, Noth East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), said: "We are pleased to be moving our Minor Injuries Unit to a modern, purpose-built environment at Thurrock Community Hospital.

"This investment will help us continue to provide high-quality care for local people, with improved facilities, better patient experience and closer access to diagnostic services. Importantly, patients will continue to be cared for by the same experienced NELFT team they know and trust."

The ICB is also planning development of the service into an Urgent Treatment Centre from April 2027, saying that will expand the service to include minor illnesses as well as minor injuries and would have longer opening hours.

The new UTC is expected to see almost 54,000 patients a year compared to around 29,000 people a year for the current MIU service. Further additional funding is planned to support the expanded service, subject to final approval.

Go to the NHS Essex website for more information about the MIU move.