The Minor Injury Unit (MIU) at Brecon War Memorial Hospital will be temporarily closing overnight from September.

The Brecon MIU is currently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but this will temporarily change from September 2024.

The MIU will continue to be open seven days a week but opening hours will be reduced to 8am- 8pm.

Llandrindod Wells War Memorial Hospital MIU will also see a temporary change to its opening hours.

From September, instead of being open from 7am to midnight, it will also be open 8am - 8pm, seven days a week.

Powys Teaching Health Board today (Wednesday) highlighted the need for temporary change to services. The health board cited a challenges to maintain quality, safety, outcomes and financial sustainability for patients and communities as the reason for the changes, and said these immediate steps “would help maintain quality services within available resource”.

The health board says it has become “increasingly difficult” to staff MIUs - and there are frequent overnight and evening closures because appropriately trained staff are not available.

According to the health board, around one to two people per night attend the MIU in Brecon or Llandrindod Wells, and in the significant majority of cases their care needs could wait until the morning or would be better addressed elsewhere – for example because they need the specialist resources in a major hospital A&E department.

“Whilst this does offer convenience for patients it does not offer the best use of precious NHS resources,” the health board explains on its website.

There will also be some temporary changes to staffing in the health board’s MIUs so that it has better alignment with service activity and demand.

These temporary changes are taking place from September 2024 for a period of six months.

There will be no changes to the opening hours at the MIUs in Welshpool and Ystradgynlais.

As well as opening hours, the health board has also announced temporary changes to the clinical model for inpatient beds in Powys community hospitals.

From September 2024, four hospitals will take on a more specialised focus to help ensure the best quality and outcomes for patients.

Bronllys and Llanidloes will be designated as “Ready To Go Home” units. These will provide focused care and support for patients who are ready to return home but are waiting for a package of community care.

Brecon and Newtown will take on an expanded role to support patients who need more specialised inpatient rehabilitation in a community hospital setting. This builds on their existing role as centres for stroke rehabilitation.

It is hoped these temporary changes will reduce unnecessary extended stays in hospital, so that patients are able to return to their home including a care home.

Like the opening hours, these temporary changes are taking place from September 2024 for a period of six months.

A period of engagement with patients, the public and staff is taking place during the summer to explain the temporary changes and invite feedback.

Further details will be available from the health board’s website at pthb.nhs.wales from Monday (July 29) with engagement taking place until Sunday, August 25.