Introduction
Petition Number: P-06-1571
Petition title: The Welsh Government and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board should put in a fully funded minor injury unit at Llangollen Health Centre.
Text of petition: The Wrexham Maelor A&E is overwhelmed, with wait times of over 12 hours. Outlying Minor Injuries Units would help to alleviate pressures and wait times for treatment for minor injuries.
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1. Background
Minor Injury Units (MIUs) are staffed by experienced emergency practitioners who are supported by health care assistants. There are no doctors in MIU. If a person’s condition cannot be dealt with at the MIU, they will be referred to their GP or nearest emergency department or to another appropriate service.
There are 9 MIUs spread across the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (UHB) area.
A news article on 10 December 2025 refers to this petition for an MIU to be established at Llangollen Health Centre. In the article, a chief operating officer at Betsi Cadwaladr UHB states that they recognise the significant pressure being seen across emergency and urgent care services in north Wales and that “teams are working extremely hard to ensure people receive safe and timely care.” The chief operating officer also states that “MIUs are planned and spaced across north Wales to ensure fair and balanced access for all communities. The nearest MIU to Llangollen is in Mold, approximately a 30-minute journey.”
2. Welsh Government action
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care’s letter to the Petitions Committee (28 January 2026) highlights that the decision about where to locate MIUs and other health services is for individual health boards, who are responsible for planning and delivering healthcare services in line with the needs of their populations.
The Cabinet Secretary states in the letter that he has set “clear expectations” for improvement in emergency care in north Wales and he acknowledges that people are spending too long waiting in emergency departments across the region, which impacts on their experience and outcomes.
The letter also states that Betsi Cadwaladr UHB is receiving support from the Welsh Government, the Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care programme, and NHS Performance and Improvement to make the necessary improvements to the quality and timeliness of its urgent and emergency care services. In November 2025, the Cabinet Secretary announced additional support for the health board which aims to improve patient care and experiences as part of the ongoing special measures intervention.
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