THE Minor Injuries Unit at Pershore Cottage Hospital is closed until further notice.

The NHS South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust made the decision yesterday (Wednesday), which was prompted by sickness of nursing staff, although the unit had been closed since June 1.

June Patel, director of clinical services and nursing, said: "We have had to take the regrettable decision to close the unit due to unavoidable long term sickness within the nursing team.

"Everything possible is being done to recruit temporary staff so that we can re-open the unit as soon as possible."

Matron Linda Love said: "We are three qualified staff down and we need two to operate on a shift."

The rest of the hospital is unaffected and a 24-hour minor injuries unit is available at Evesham Community Hospital or Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Vice chairman of the Friends of Pershore Cottage Hospital, Michael Amies, said: "We are sad that it's had to happen but we will be hoping that the unit re-opens as soon as possible."

MP for West Worcestershire, Sir Michael Spicer, was outraged by the decision to close the unit and said it called into question the Primary Care Trust's commitment to the future of community hospitals.

He added: "It is quite extraordinary that a temporary shortage of staff should have been used as an excuse to make a final closure of this nature. "