Minor Injuries Units

A Minor Injuries Unit can treat injuries that are not critical or life-threatening. You may wish to consider attending a Minor Injuries Unit if it is suitable for the type of injury that you have. Minor Injuries Units are staffed by Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENP) who are experienced emergency department nurses with additional training in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions.

Types of injuries that can be treated include:

• 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
• Wounds, bites, cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations
• Minor scalds and burns
• 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).

Three hospitals within the Northern Trust have Minor Injuries Units:

• Antrim Area Hospital – open Monday to Friday, from 9.00am to 10.00pm
• Causeway Hospital – open from 9.00am to 10.00pm
• Mid Ulster Hospital – open Monday to Friday, from 9.00am to 5.00pm

If your condition is urgent or life threatening please always go to Causeway or Antrim Hospital ED.

Phone First 

From Monday to Friday, between 8am – 6pm, excluding bank holidays, if you have an urgent problem (excluding serious illness or injury) and are considering travelling to Antrim Area or Causeway Hospital emergency departments or the Mid Ulster Hospital minor injuries unit, please Phone First on 0300 123 1 123.

Read more in Phone First Frequently Questions and Answers