Minor injury units at Bovey Tracey and Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Hospitals will not only re-open on October 2 but gradually offer an improved range of services, health chiefs have promised. The units were temporarily closed last month after Teignbridge NHS Primary Care Trust said patient numbers had fallen and there were difficulties finding staff. Council leaders expressed concern the units would close for good when the new Devon PCT picks up the reigns in October . But this week Phil Heywood, locality director with Teignbridge PCT, outlined plans to employ highly skilled nurses and develop new services. He said staff currently working in Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, where their skills are honed by a high turnover of patients, would be 'outposted' to Bovey and Ashburton. By developing services never before available, such as treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), patient numbers would rise to sustainable levels. 'As medicine becomes ever more technical it is really important that we keep our staff up to date,' he said. Mr Heywood said that by next April he hoped to employ three extra full time nurses, the cost of which would be covered by not having to pay other trusts such as Torbay Hospital to carry out procedures. He defended a proposed 10am - 6pm service, a reduction on the current 8am - 8pm operation, saying it coincided with greatest demand and that emergency and GP out of hours services were also available. 'It really will extend and broaden the the range of services to the people using these hospitals,' he said. Mayor of Buckfastleigh, Cllr Donald Joint, cautiously welcomed the news saying: 'If what has been said is true then it sounds like a far better deal than we had before.' Ashburton mayor, Cllr Wendy Gill, also welcomed the news as did Cllr George Gribble, mayor of Bovey Tracey. He maintained that civic opposition to the closures had played a major part in saving the units. 'We objected most strongly as did our GPs to whom we are extremely grateful for their support,' he said. 'I would have preferred no reduction in the hours but having said that I am very pleased that we now have an ongoing service with minor injury facilities that can be carried forward when the Devon PCT comes into being.'