AN ELDERLY couple have questioned why they were unable to get treatment at the new Bridgwater Community Hospital.

Stella Scutt, 88, called for an ambulance after her 91-year-old husband Raymond fell and injured his face at their Cannington home at around 1pm on Thursday.

Within ten minutes a paramedic was on the scene and told Stella her husband needed hospital treatment.

Mrs Scutt told the Mercury: “The paramedic came and was really good.

“She telephoned Bridgwater Hospital and asked them to take my husband but was told he had to go to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, even though she explained he was 91 and bleeding profusely.”

The paramedic took them to Musgrove where Mr Scutt had 12 stitches in his wound.

Now Mrs Scutt says she wants to know why Bridgwater hospital did not see them.

She said: “Time and millions of pounds were spent on this local hospital – why couldn’t we use it?”

The state-of-the-art Bridgwater Community Hospital, which opened in April at a cost of £33million, has a minor injuries unit (MIU) which is run by emergency nurse practitioners with the aim of treating patients to avoid them having to visit A&E.

They can perform medical tasks including stitching cuts, dressing minor wounds and plaster casting, minor head injuries, broken bones and burns.

A spokesperson for Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “The minor injury service at Bridgwater Community Hospital is one of the busiest in the county, seeing over 30,000 patients a year.

“However, there may be occasions when an ambulance paramedic will ask the advice of the unit’s emergency nurse practitioners, in order to ascertain whether a patient may be clinically suitable to be treated at a minor injury unit.

“Where injuries to the patient’s head or neck may be involved or the patient has an underlying health problem, MIU nurses may, as a precautionary measure, advise that a patient be taken to a district A&E department.

“A reason for doing this is to ensure that should a patient turn out to have a more serious injury than first thought, the correct diagnostic tests and treatment can start without delay.”

The Trust spokesman added: “The Trust would be interested to hear from any patient who might have questions or concerns about their care where they can discuss any issue to total confidence.

“The safety and welfare of patients is always paramount for the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and all its MIU staff.”