IT IS meant to help take the pressure off major hospitals but even East Hampshire’s minor injuries unit has succumbed to the flu virus which is stretching health services to breaking point.

The unit at Petersfield Hospital, which sees up to 800 patients a month, had to close over the New Year weekend as it did not have enough staff to keep operating the service.

The enforced closure came at a time when patients trying to use major hospitals around the district have been facing horrendous waiting times to see medical staff.

At Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, patients have been forced to wait in ambulances outside the accident and emergency unit for more than six hours before being seen on some days and some patients have been forced to wait in beds in hospital corridors until places on wards become available.

At St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, which shares services with Worthing Hospital, staff saw nearly a nine per cent increase in people attending the accident and emergency department over Christmas and the New Year – a total of over 4,100 people.

Petersfield’s Minor Injuries Unit is meant to be open 365 days of the year from 8am-5.45pm each day but the effects of the flu-like bug had taken its toll on staff and the facility had to close on December 30 and 31.

A?spokeswoman for the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the unit in Swan Street, said:?“Due to staff sickness, the unit was closed.

“The decision to close a unit is always an absolute last resort, and particularly at such a busy time of year for health services.

“However, we were unable to backfill with staff from within the trust or from agencies, and it would not have been safe to keep the unit open.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience this caused to people in the local area.”

As numbers affected by flu-like bugs continue to rise, a GP?at the Liphook and Liss Surgery is urging people not to head to hospitals in the first instance.

Chair of the South Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group Dr Barbara Rushton, said those normally of good health are being encouraged not to attend accident and emergency. She also encouraged people to get vaccinated.