Minor injuries units

The Trust has three minor injuries units: Antrim Area, Causeway and Mid Ulster.

The units are staffed by emergency nurse practitioners who are experienced emergency department nurses with additional training in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions.

We treat injuries that are not critical or life-threatening.

What types of injuries do we treat at minor injuries units?

We treat a range of minor injuries, including:

• Possible broken bones from the shoulder to the hands and from the knees to the toes
• All sprains and strains
• Minor facial injuries such as bruising or broken noses – with no loss of consciousness
• Wounds, bites cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations -no human bites
• Minor scalds and burns
• Ring removal
• Plaster of Paris problems
• Foreign bodies and splinters in skin
• Foreign bodies in eyes/ ears/ nose
• Minor head injuries in under 65s (fully conscious patients who did no experience loss of consciousness and have no headache, vomiting, drowsiness or confusion and are not taking blood thinning medication)

Please note that minor injuries units are not suitable for elderly patients with complex medical needs or a history of recurrent falls, or any patient on blood thinning drugs such as Warfarin or Aspirin, Syncope/collapse, or patients who have fallen from heights such as stairs or ladders.

Opening times

Antrim 

The Antrim Area Hospital minor injuries unit is open every day including evenings and weekends from 9.00am to 10.00pm, for patients aged three years and above.

Causeway 

The Causeway Hospital minor injuries unit is open every day including evenings and weekends from 9.00am to 10.00pm, for patients aged three years and above.

Mid Ulster 

The Mid Ulster Hospital minor injuries unit is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm, for patients aged five years and above. If you phone first on 0300 123 1 123, we can provide an appointment time for this unit.

For urgent or life threatening illness or injuries, please go to Causeway or Antrim Area Hospital emergency department.