Wimborne’s Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) which is based at Victoria Hospital is to re-open tomorrow 1 April with extended opening hours of 8am-6pm.

Across Dorset other MIUs at Swanage, Weymouth, Bridport, Shaftesbury and Sherborne will also re-open on the same day, with Blandford and Portland remaining closed for the time being.

People are urged to call 111 first, rather than turn up unannounced.

Jane Elson, Dorset HealthCare’s service director for Integrated Community Services, said: “Our aspiration is definitely to have all MIUs working to pre-pandemic hours and locations. However, it has been exceptionally difficult to recruit the staff we need to fill vacancies, and there remains a significant degree of COVID-related staff absences.

“We need to ensure we can provide a safe, reliable and robust service for people who need urgent care and treatment, and cannot do so across all our units if we don’t have the necessary staffing levels in place.

“We are grateful for the support of our patients and partners as we seek to open all our units and encourage the public to use 111 who will often be able to provide advice over the phone or remote prescribe. If necessary, they can also book an appointment time at the nearest suitable location.”

If you turn up unannounced at an MIU/UTC, you will still be assessed but could be directed elsewhere or given an appointment later that day or the next.

For anything life-threatening, always call 999 for immediate assistance.