NHS managers have been accused of trying to shut rural minor injury units (MIUs) by stealth.

Andrew Crawford, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for Wantage, and Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr Evan Harris are concerned Wantage and Didcot MIUs may be permanently closed without consultation with residents.

South West Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust, which is responsible for both units, denied the MIUs would never reopen and said there were no plans to close them permanently.

Mr Crawford is worried the launch of a new MIU at Abingdon Hospital last week could signal the demise of other units in the area. The new unit serves more than 100,000 patients, including those in the nearby towns.

He said: "The Wantage and Didcot MIUs have been temporarily closed for years and we've been told this was because of a lack of staff trained to deal with this service.

"Staff in Didcot and Wantage now tell me their MIUs are closed permanently, so what happened to the consultation and why have we not been told about the loss of these local services?

"My understanding is that the PCT has a statutory duty to consult with the public when it makes any significant change to local serv- ices."

His fears were echoed by Dr Harris, who said: "Consultation is a requirement before major changes take place, and combining the MIU services at one location would fall into this category.

"In rural areas it's a questionable move, because in some cases it may be quicker to get to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital than travel to Abingdon.

"It was not my understanding that the Abingdon MIU was going to be provided at the expense of the others, but if this is true, they've been closed by stealth."

MIU staff are able to deal with minor injuries, easing the pressure on the JR casualty department.

NHS managers say the opening of the Abingdon unit will save about 4,000 journeys a year to the JR.

PCT spokesman Martin Leaver said: "Wantage and Didcot were closed temporarily due to staff shortages and that has not changed.

"We would consult fully to make those closures permanent.

"The Abingdon MIU is available for people from Didcot and Wantage while their services are not immediately available.

"There's no plan to close them permanently."