TIVERTON'S Minor Injuries Unit is to close tomorrow night because of staffing shortages.
The MIU will be closed from 10pm on Thursday, March 7, until 7.30am on Friday, March 8.
It is the latest of several temporary closures which have raised concerns about the future of the unit, which can treat minor, cuts, burns, other injuries and illness.
In January the unit was closed for two nights and there were several closures at short notice last year.
There have also been concerns about the amount of notice given before the closures. Northern Devon NHS Trust, which runs the unit, only announced tomorrow's closure this morning.
Tiverton Councillor Kevin Wilson said: "The short notice is not satisfactory. They might as well put an A-board outside on the pavement."
Tiverton's MP, Neil Parish, has met trust bosses to discuss the closures. He is concerned that patients will have to travel further for emergency care and that the closures undermine the reliability of the hospital.
Kate Lyons, the Trust's director of operations, said: "We apologise for any disruption this temporary closure may cause.
"Decisions such as this are not taken lightly – and the safety of our patients is our number one priority."