THE minor injuries unit in Minehead Community Hospital is being forced to shut suddenly for up to a day at a time because of skilled staff shortages.

The unit, which the NHS now calls an urgent treatment centre (UTC), is led by emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs).

But, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said it did not have enough ENPs to fully staff the Minehead unit along with its five other UTCs in Bridgwater, Frome, West Mendip, Chard, Shepton Mallet, and a minor injuries unit in Burnham on Sea.

A trust spokesperson said: “Our UTCs are led by very experienced and skilled emergency nurse practitioners.

“There is a national shortage of ENPs and 24 per cent of our ENP roles are currently unfilled.

“Our efforts to recruit have not been successful, but we continue to look at how we can do that at the same time as training our own and looking at different ways of safely staffing our UTCs.

“In the meantime, we continue to look at how we can cover shifts on a temporary basis, but this is more difficult over the summer.”

The spokesperson said some unscheduled closures happened when seriously ill patients, who need treatment in an emergency department, attend a UTC instead.

They said: “When this occurs, the centre must close to stabilise the patient and ensure they are safely moved to an emergency department before it can reopen.

“This can delay the patient getting the life-saving treatment they need in an emergency department.

“Our advice to people is if you need treatment, please use NHS111 or the NHS Quicker app.

“They will advise you of the best place to go for your needs and what services are available.”

Minehead Somerset Cllr Mandy Chilcott said she asked if bank staff could be brought in, but understood there was limited capacity during peak holiday times.