A shortage of trained medical staff will mean the minor injuries and illness unit in Brechin will cut its opening hours from Monday.
The Infirmary Street unit will close daily at 4.30pm instead of 10pm and open at 9am instead of 8am. It will still open seven days a week.
It is the second medical blow to hit the town this week after it emerged that there is a looming GP crisis.
From October 1 NHS Tayside will take over the running of the Brechin Medical Practice after two doctors left and replacements haven’t been found.
People in and around Brechin who need to access a minor injuries and illness unit (MIIU) outwith the new opening hours are being advised to travel to the MIIU at Links Health Centre in Montrose which opens from 8am to 10pm every day.
NHS Tayside medical director Dr Andrew Russell said the change had come after a “difficulty” recruiting staff.
He said: “It is essential that we provide an MIIU service with appropriately skilled staff which is safe for patients and staff.
“We find ourselves in a position where there is a shortage of appropriately-trained staff and a difficulty in recruiting new staff and we have had to make the decision to restrict the opening times of the unit.
“We are working with Brechin Medical Practice and the local team of health professionals to develop a new GP practice model that will improve the capability and capacity to support care for the Brechin population, and establishing minor injury and illness services will be part of that work.
“However, we realise that this change to working hours in the MIIU may mean that some patients have to travel further to access services and we apologise for this.”
These new arrangement will be monitored by NHS Tayside on an ongoing basis.
It is hoped that the new model of care which will be provided at the Brechin Medical Practice will provide a new way of delivering minor illness and injury services to the town.
As well as the MIIUs in Brechin and Montrose, there are also units at Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre in Forfar (opens from 8am to 10pm) and Arbroath Infirmary (open 24 hours). People can also call NHS 24 on 111 for advice.
Brechin Medical Practice patients will remain registered after NHS Tayside takes over in October.