New minor injuries and illness area opens at KGH

Some of the KGH A&E team in the new MIAMI area - L-R Richard Health, Vicky Smith, Dr Razvan Angelescu, Sarah Tye, Corrine Harris and Rebecca Holden

A new area has opened at KGH for patients who have attended A&E and been found to need minor treatment.

The new minor injuries and minor illness (MIAMI) area has opened in a former outpatients' clinic area adjacent to A&E, after work on a seven-week £125,000 refurb was completed.

It is a big improvement on the old cubicles which have been used to deliver the minors service in recent years, with the service moving into the new unit on March 10.

Registrar Dr Razvan Angelescu in the MIAMI’s special Eye and ENT room.

The new area has a clinic room with specialist equipment for eye and ear, nose and throat conditions, a plaster room, four standard clinic rooms and a socially-distanced waiting area.

It also has a planned care room – a service for patients who need drug infusions and other tests or treatments for long-term conditions. Patients are referred to planned care by medical doctors.

MIAMI will deal with acute injury or illnesses which needs urgent care. This could include sprains, soft tissue injuries, minor burns or scalds and minor head injuries. Illnesses could include chest infections, allergic reactions, skin and other infections.

Kettering General Hospital’s clinical director for urgent care, Dr Adrian Ierina, said: “In a normal year we have about 20,000 patients who need care for minor injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening.

The Planned Care room inside the unit - Deputy Sister Lara Pilgrim and Healthcare Assistant Joan Gibbs.

“Our previous facilities were not ideal for delivering a minor injuries service but now we have bright, modern and spacious area to treat minor injuries patients and a new room for our planned care service.

“The area is staff by senior A&E doctors, emergency nurse practitioners and other A&E nurses and healthcare assistants as required.

“This service is a very important one to local people who may be anxious about an injury, be worried they have broken a bone, or have a medical condition like a chest infection that isn’t getting better.

“People will attend A&E in the usual way and then be streamed appropriately into MIAMI if that is what they need.

“This will enable our A&E department to concentrate on the more seriously ill.”

If you have a minor illness such as a cough or cold it is better to contact your GP practice or seek advice from a pharmacist.

If you are unsure what to do, phone NHS 111. This service can help you get the right care, first time.