A MINOR injuries unit will close this morning until Monday due to overwhelming demand at accident and emergency units.

Accrington Victoria Community Hospital Minor Injuries Unit will temporarily close because the emergency department and urgent care centres at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital are currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for services.

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East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said that despite attempting to employ more doctors and nurses they had been unable to avoid patients waiting longer before they are seen and treated.

This problem comes at a time of increased circulating illness in the community, school holidays, high levels of staff sickness and impending industrial action by junior doctors.

In order to maintain their ability to see the most critically ill patients as a priority, the trust and Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups, have agreed to a short term closure of the unit at Accrington Victoria.

It will be effective from today at 8am and it will reopen at 8am on Monday, April 11.

This temporary measure means that staff from the from Accrington can move to support their colleagues at Burnley and Blackburn.

A spokesman for the trust said: “We have not taken this decision lightly, and we appreciate that it may lead to some inconvenience.

“However, we are sure that nobody would wish us to compromise patient safety, which is always our priority.”

They added that anyone who would has visited Accrington minor injuries unit is advised to use alternative provision from their GP, Primary Care Centre or NHS 111.