Herne Bay’s long-awaited minor injuries unit has opened its doors.

Patients will be able to visit the centre at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital from 8am to 8pm every day for injuries such as sprains, bites, cuts, burns, and eye and ear injuries.

There will also be access to an x-ray machine from Monday to Thursday at the MIU, which is the first phase of an Integrated Care Centre (ICC) in the town.

Doctors from four GP surgeries have united to run the unit and, similar to the Estuary View Medical Centre in Whitstable, it will be led by nurses.

According to the Queen Victoria Hospital’s League of Friends, some 7,000 people currently travel from Herne Bay to use the service in Whitstable.

Simon Perks, accountable officer for the NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG, which awarded the three-year contract to the GPs earlier this year, says it will give patients care closer to home.

“Over the following few months, we will develop the ICC to act as a hub where patients can access a range of urgent and outreach services,” he said.

“As well as the MIU, the hub will include a range of additional services, such as urology, deep vein thrombosis, wound and day clinics.

“Currently, people in Herne Bay have to travel to Canterbury, Margate or Whitstable to use these services.”

Dr Jeremy Carter, one of the GPs running the unit, says all four local surgeries have been working together for many years, delivering a number of town based services to patients.

“This will be the first delivered out of our new town based hub, the Integrated Care Centre at the QVMH,” he said.

“We hope we will be able to add a number of other primary and community care services around this hub over the coming years, enabling better care, closer to home.

“We are particularly pleased we will be utilising the QVMH, and are very grateful for the work of the League of Friends in supporting the development of this service.”