A month-long window to air views on cutting opening times at two of Powys’ Minor Injury Units begins today (Monday, July 29).

Opening hours at the units in Llandrindod Wells and Brecon will be reduced from September if the plans go ahead.

Llandrindod War Memorial Hospital’s MIU will go from being open from 7am to midnight seven days a week to opening from 8am-8pm every day. Brecon War Memorial Hospital, which is currently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, would open between 8am-8pm every day.

Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) says the changes are temporary and are required for patient care and to safeguard the services. It also wants to reduce inefficiencies and respond to staffing and budgetary pressures.

The health board is asking members of the public to share their views on plans between July 29 and August 25.

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A spokesperson said: “These changes affect the opening hours of the Minor Injury Units in Brecon and Llandrindod Wells.

“They do not affect the opening hours of Minor Injury Units in other Powys hospitals, minor injury services provided by GP practices or minor injury services outside Powys.

“Powys Teaching Health Board directly provides four Minor Injury Units. These are in our community hospitals in Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Welshpool and Ystradgynlais.

"These are run by specially trained Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs).

“They offer care treatment for minor injuries such as cuts and sprains to adults and to children aged 2+.”

Opening times at the MIUs in Welshpool (8am to 8pm seven days a week) and Ystradgynlais (8.30am-4pm Monday-Friday) are unaffected.

For a temporary period, PTHB says it is also introducing “a more specialised focus” for some of the wards in its hospitals.

“Two hospital wards will be designated as our ‘Ready To Go Home’ units,” said the health board. “These will provide focused care and support for patients who are ready to return home but are waiting for a package of community care.

“They will be located at Llanidloes Community Hospital and Bronllys Community Hospital. This is alongside the continued role of Glan Irfon (Builth Wells) and Knighton.

“Two hospital wards will have an enhanced specialist role to support patients who require inpatient rehabilitation.

“This will build on the existing arrangements for stroke rehabilitation. So, they will be located at Brecon War Memorial Hospital and Montgomery County Infirmary (Newtown).

“Our other hospital wards (Ystradgynlais, Llandrindod Wells, Welshpool and Machynlleth) will continue to operate as general medical wards for those patients that are not ready to go home but do not need rehabilitation therapy.”

PTHB says this strategy is part of an ongoing conversation with the people of Powys to ensure that NHS services are safe and sustainable for the future.

It says it will be engaging again with the public in the autumn.

There will also be two webinars taking place next month, in which the health board will explain why it is making temporary changes to the services cited.

The first will be on Thursday, August 8, between 1-1.45pm; the second is from 6-6.45pm on Wednesday, August 14.

To have your say, visit https://www.haveyoursaypowys.wales/temporary, where you can also register for the webinars.