BROMSGROVE'S Minor Injury Unit had to be closed with nurses sent to help struggling A&E departments in Redditch and Worcester.

The unit, based at the town's Princess Of Wales Hospital, had to be closed on New Year's Eve after the holiday rush threatened to overwhelm the Alexandra and Worcestershire Royal hospital's A&E departments.

Staff from the unit were sent to help meet demand at the hospitals, which at the moment are struggling and in the last few days have seen people stuck on trolleys in corridors and ambulances queuing up outside.

The unit re-opened on Monday, but bosses have refused to rule out closing it again.

A spokesman from Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, which runs the Minor Injury Unit, said: "Worcestershire A&E department were extremely busy over the New Year period. To help manage these pressures, minor injuries unit staff were diverted to support colleagues in A&E to provide extra cover and better use their skills as MIUs were experiencing very low demand.

When questioned on whether it is likely to happen again, he added: "The focus is to provide safe, emergency services and in times of high demand there are options available which can be implemented, but this will be based on the circumstances."

One woman recently spent more than 24 hours on a trolley at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Pauline Freeman was admitted to the Worcester hospital in the early hours of New Year's Day after suffering a mild stroke.

Her husband John said he was horrified by the overcrowding in the accident and emergency unit.

"There were trollies with patients on them three deep in the corridor," he said

"Ambulances were lined up outside. There were 10 people waiting to be treated and no beds at all.

"The nurses and porters were all doing a fantastic job with the resources they had, it's just that there were too many people. They were running out of blankets and pillows."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal, said: "We are working hard to make sure all our patients are dealt with as soon as possible, and we offer our apologies to those who have had to wait."