It is hoped the Island’s minor injury unit will be open for the next two weeks.

The unit at Sheppey Community Hospital has been shut on and off since early last month because of staff sickness.

Although a spokesman said discussions are taking place about future arrangements, they expect to be able to open it from Monday to Friday next week and the week after, provided staffing levels can be maintained.

It will be open from 9am to 5pm.

Since the MIU, which is usually open from 9am to 9pm seven days a week, has been closed, patients have been advised to use Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, in Bell Road.

The 5pm to 9pm walk-in service run by DMC Healthcare will still be available at the hospital in Plover Road, Minster, offering a very similar service to the MIU.

MIU is usually run by six members of staff on a rota basis and two were already on long-term sickness and two retired at the end of March.

Recently it had been run by one nurse practitioner and a healthcare assistant but health bosses said this situation was “not deliverable” on a long-term basis.