FOI 26-067 Minor Injuries Unit Dunbar
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-067 Minor Injuries Unit Dunbar
- Request Date
- 06 Feb 2026
- Response Date
- 23 Feb 2026
- Information Requested
I wish to make a Freedom of Information Request for the dates NHS Highland informed the SAS that the Minor Injury Unit at Dunbar Hospital Thurso Caithness KW14 7DW wasn't open for patients to be transferred to in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025.
- Response
It may be helpful to note that the Scottish Ambulance Service does not routinely convey emergency patients to Dunbar Hospital. Emergency patients in the area are generally conveyed to Caithness General Hospital in Wick, where an Emergency Department is available.
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) does not hold a formal or centrally recorded record of dates on which NHS Highland advised that the Minor Injury Unit at Dunbar Hospital was not open for patient transfers. SAS has not been involved in any formal meetings specifically addressing the closure or nonavailability of this Minor Injury Unit. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 as information not held.
In May 2022, SAS was copied into a media release from NHS Highland stating that the Minor Injury Unit would reopen on 6 June 2022, operating for limited hours each day. This has been exempt from release under section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as this was released to the public - Minor Injuries Unit at Dunbar Hospital to reopen | NHS Highland
