DARTMOUTH Busi­ness Improvement District is handing emergency medical advice for visitors this summer while the hospital minor injuries unit is closed.

It has produced a leaflet on health services in partnership with the Dartmouth Medical Practice and the Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust.

It is hoped the information will help to relieve some of the pressure being put on the town’s doctors surgery by advising people to seek medical assistance from local chemists or even to administer a little self-help before turning to hard-pressed medical services.

BID board member and chairman of the Dartmouth Caring Dee Nutt said: ‘Dartmouth’s population expands massively during the summer season and demand for local medical services soars.

‘The BID is helping us manage this situation and it has produced a very helpful leaflet which tells visitors how to deal with minor medical problems without putting even more pressure on our already hard-pressed hospital and GP practice.

‘This is a very timely initiative. Staff shortages have resulted in the recent closure of the community hospital’s minor injuries unit which is now unable to accept emergency admissions. We don’t know how long this situation will continue.

‘Visitors and locals with minor injuries can still present themselves to the community hospital but they will not be treated there.

‘Instead, they will be triaged – seen by a trained health care assistant nurse or, if it’s more serious, by a doctor – before being referred elsewhere for treatment, as needed.’

Dartmouth BID manager Alison Steere said: ‘This initiative grew out of a meeting between the BID and the Dartmouth Medical Practice.

‘It’s a very serious situation and we hope that the production and distribution of this emergency medical advice will take some pressure off our local health services.

‘The leaflets are packed with helpful and reassuring advice and they provide contact information for all our local surgeries, chemists, dentists and chiropractors.’

No instructions are given on how best to treat suspected illnesses or ailments but the leaflets do contain information on getting repeat prescriptions or where to borrow an emergency wheelchair.

‘They show that we care for the welfare of our visitors,’ added Alison.

‘This initiative also demonstrates how the BID can help solve local problems.’

Copies of the leaflet are available from the tourist information centre, Lloyds and Boots pharmacies, and from Dartmouth Caring in Victoria Road. Leaflets are also being sent to hotels and B&Bs.