A MINOR injuries unit should be set up in the centre of Oxford to help deal with demand from students, a university study recommends.

A student-led project made the call after a survey found a “surprisingly high proportion” of Oxford University students had used A&E.

Out of 201 students surveyed, 26 per cent went for a sports injury, 16 per cent for a drug or alcohol-related incident and eight per cent for a traffic accident.

It comes amid concern about A&E waiting times at Headington’s under-pressure John Radcliffe Hospital.

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The report was carried out by The Student Consultancy, run by students to give free consultancy to firms, charities and community groups.

Alcohol-related comments included “ambulance called when I became unresponsive” and “got very drunk, passed out and was taken to A&E in ambulance”.

The report said: “Many students choose to visit A&E even for minor injuries or illnesses, largely because they felt they would get faster access to care by doing so or because the incident occurred outside of GP opening hours.”

It said a central minor injuries unit like those in Abingdon, Henley and Witney would be “a realistic alternative to A&E”. And it urged giving GPs more powers to refer to specialist services, increasing out-of-hours services and raising awareness of the NHS 111 advice line.

The study, funded by official watchdog Healthwatch Oxfordshire, also raised concerns about access to mental health services.

It found 41 per cent found it hard or “very hard” to get counselling support from public services and 40 per cent wanted better waiting times.

It included a story of “Mary” who was “extremely disappointed” with hospital support after being admitted via A&E after a suicide attempt.

It said: “This did nothing to alleviate the suicidal feelings of Mary, and left her feeling like she wasn’t being taken seriously by hospital staff.

“She was allowed to return home unaccompanied despite having been recently suicidal.”

Healthwatch chief executive Rachel Coney said it is already talking to NHS leaders following previous research about student use of the health service.

She said: “We are delighted that the voices of the students themselves are being heard.”

University director of student welfare and support services Elsa Bell said it is working to “enhance communication” with students about its services.

She said: “It is good to know that our students, who are taking their first steps in consultancy, have proved useful to Healthwatch Oxfordshire.”

Alison Edgington, programme manager for Urgent Care at Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Progress has already been made in working towards improvements to services, based on the recommendations made by the students, which include providing the university’s social welfare department with health information for their website.”

At least 95 per cent of patients have to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival at A&E. But this was 93.23 per cent at the JR and Banbury’s Horton General in 2013/14 amid rising patient numbers.

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