Residents and community leaders alike have reacted to the reopening of Leek Moorlands Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit with an overwhelmingly positive response.

Residents welcomed the announcement last week that the unit would be reopening on 21st June, with Nub News's story announcing the reopening receiving over 700 'likes' and hundreds of comments on social media.

One resident commented: "Brilliant news! Takes the pressure off of other hospitals. Saves the local community going to Stoke or Macclesfield."

Another said: "At last our local hospital is finally reopening, shame it's taken so long, thanks to all who have fought for this."

While a third added: "Great news, should never have been closed in the first place, this town needs a hospital, many people can't keep trekking to the Potteries for smaller medical issues that can easily be dealt with in Leek."

Now the reopening has also been welcomed by local community leaders, including Councillor Sybil Ralphs, Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

She said: "The provision of responsive, adaptable local health services has never been more important as the pop-up vaccination clinic we were able to provide at Leek Moorlands Hospital clearly demonstrates.

"So I'm delighted that the months and months of conversations and behind the scenes work carried out by both myself and our MP Karen Bradley, the reassurances we were given about the Unit reopening when Covid restrictions allowed have come to fruition.

"It's the result we have worked hard to achieve and it is most definitely the right decision for Leek. I'm particularly pleased that whilst it will initially open from 9am to 5pm, the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust has committed to hours of 8am to 8pm as soon as possible as they promised."

Neil Carr, chief executive of Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), said: "We made a commitment to local residents to reopen the minor injuries unit in line with the Government's easing of lockdown restrictions.

"Following the announcement from the Prime Minister that the lockdown restrictions would stay in place for another four week because of an increase in number of Delta variant cases, we were required to review the position.

"Even more so considering the local outbreak of the Delta variant in Leek. Therefore, we have made a decision to open initially with reduced hours of 9am to 5pm."

The reopening was announced by Moorlands MP Karen Bradley last week, who said: "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."

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 Clinics

- MSK Outpatients Planned Clinics

- Ambulatory Wound Care Clinics (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.