A new service has been launched in Forth Valley to provide quicker, more convenient treatment for minor injuries and avoid overcrowding to help keep staff and patients safe.

Anyone with a minor injury is now being asked to Call MIA – the new Minor Injuries Assessment service on 111 before they attend the Minor Injuries Unit at Stirling Health and Care Village or the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. Patients will then be offered a video assessment so they can quickly access clinical advice or an appointment in either Stirling or Larbert so they don’t have to wait to be seen when they attend.

The new video and appointment service runs from 8.30am-9pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and is open to children over the age of one year and adults of any age from across Forth Valley. Offering video assessments for minor injuries means that patients with minor injuries can be seen at a convenient time from the comfort of their home or workplace. Similar services are already operating successfully in other parts of the country including in NHS Lothian which has been supporting NHS Forth Valley to develop this new local service.

The Call MIA service can be used to provide advice and treatment for a wide range of conditions including minor burns and scalds, infected wounds, sprains and strains, cuts and grazes, minor injuries.

People with serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries should continue to attend the Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital or call 999.

Donna Clark, NHS Forth Valley’s Operational Manager for Minor Injuries, said “We are very excited about this new service and how it will change the way we work to give the best care possible. It is particularly helpful during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic because of the need to maintain physical distancing and avoid overcrowding in our patient waiting areas.

“Many patients with minor injuries don’t actually need to be seen face-to-face if they have access to clinical advice from an experienced healthcare professional. This new service will help us provide this advice quickly and ensure that those patients who do need to be seen are given an appointment time so that they don’t need to wait when they attend.”

Juliette Murray, NHS Forth Valley’s Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services, added: “Because this is a dedicated service for people with minor injuries it can fast track them and ensure they are seen quickly by the right healthcare professional without the need to join a queue and wait in a busy waiting area while others who arrived before them are treated first. This new service will help us see patients quickly and efficiently at the right time and in the right place.”