Patients arriving at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske's emergency department with minor injuries will be turned away during the holidays.

The hospital said in a statement that "continued pressure" on the department at this time of year means that patients will be "redirected to alternative services until after the New Year holiday."

Susan Bracefield, Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust's (RCHT) director of operations said: “We need our clinical teams to be able to focus on those who really need their specialist skills, so we’ve taken the decision to redirect patients to alternative services during the minor injury unit opening hours.

“It will mean we can free up nurses and doctors to support those with serious and life-threatening emergencies and with speeding up discharge arrangements for patients who are ready to go home or to other care settings. It’s vital that we maintain a safe service for everyone and there are a lot of people who come to us who can easily be seen and treated elsewhere.”

There are 11 minor injury units across Cornwall:

• Bodmin Community Hospital – open until 10 pm

• Camborne Redruth Community Hospital – open until 10pm

• Falmouth Community Hospital – open until 8pm

• Helston Community Hospital – open until 8pm

• Launceston Community Hospital – open until 8pm

• Liskeard Community Hospital – open until 10pm

• Newquay Community Hospital – open until 10pm

• St Austell Community Hospital – open until 8pm

• St Mary's Community Hospital, Isles of Scilly – open 24 hours

• Stratton Community Hospital – open until 10pm

• Stennack Surgery, St Ives - open until 8pm

Minor injury units can treat a range of conditions which have occurred during the previous 14 days.

These include sprains and strains, broken bones, minor burns and scalds, head injuries (but not if someone is unconscious), insect and animal bites and stings, minor eye injuries, cuts, bruising and grazes.

Patients will be seen by an experienced nurse without an appointment.

For those who aren’t sure if their injury is minor and can be treated in a minor injury unit, they can telephone their local unit before setting out (and also confirm the availability of x-ray facilities, if thought to be needed), or call NHS 111.

Up to the minute waiting times for all Minor Injury Units and the Urgent Treatment Centre at Penzance – which is open 24 hours a day – can be found here: royalcornwall.nhs.uk/services/urgent-emergency-care/minor-injury-wait-times/.