Leek Moorlands Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit is to reopen on 21st June, with the date of the hospital's reopening now being confirmed.

The date was confirmed by Moorlands MP Karen Bradley following a call she held with senior healthcare professionals.

Mrs Bradley commented: ""Following a call with senior healthcare professionals I am pleased to be able to confirm that the Minor Injuries Unit at Leek Moorlands Hospital will be reopening on 21st June.

"I know from the many emails I have received on the matter that this will be very welcome news indeed to local residents."

The MIU will reopen with reduced opening hours to start.

Services that will be operating from the Leek Hospital site, albeit with some reduced capacity due to 'Covid19 safe' restrictions, from 21st June will include:

- Minor Injuries Unit

- Diagnostics – X-Ray & Phlebotomy (Monday – Friday)

- Rheumatology Planned Clinic's

- MSK Outpatients Planned Clinic's

- Ambulatory Wound Care Clinic's (specialist nursing & Podiatry led)

The unit was closed temporarily in March 2020, with the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust citing staff shortages brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic and low levels of attendance by local residents as the reasons for the closure.

Since the unit's closure the Trust explained that a reopening would take place when it was "safe to do so".

In the meantime, local residents with minor injuries were instead asked to seek treatment from the walk-in centre at Haywood Hospital in Burslem, which is around 10 miles away from Leek Moorlands Hospital.

The move was opposed by local health campaigners, who raised concerns about requiring sick and injured people travel from Leek and the surrounding area to Burslem for their treatment.

The Trust now says it has been reviewing the situation regarding Coronavirus and its effects on the Minor Injuries Unit, and now feels the time is right to reopen the unit.