TODAY marks the end of an era for Cirencester Hospital.

A strive for efficiency will mean that from today, doctors will no longer be working on the minor injuries unit.

Patients are concerned, as they always will be when important local institutions like hospitals make changes, that services will suffer.

While their fears are perfectly understandable, it is likely that they are not warranted.

The doctors have been replaced by highly-trained nurses who - health bosses assure us - have coped very well in charge of minor injuries units in Gloucestershire’s other hospitals.

The truth is a decision like this, which was made by managers and GPs with the support of the League of Friends, would surely not be made if there were genuine concerns that it was unsafe.

However, a full review of the effectiveness of the new policy should be carried out sometime down the line. It would also be interesting to hear the opinions of nurses working inside the hospital to find out how they are adapting to the new measures.

In other health news, reporter Megan Titley discovered the myriad of ways deaf children are being helped to lead a normal life.

Gloucestershire Deaf Association hopes to raise a whopping £10,000 in its Stroud Auction of Promises and The Standard is backing the worthy campaign all the way.