Doctors urge people to think of alternatives before using A&E
Doctors at Shropshire’s two acute hospitals are asking people to think about alternatives before going to A&E for treatment.
The A&E departments at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford – along with other hospitals in the region – continue to experience high levels of demand ahead of the traditionally busy New Year’s Eve.
Last week (Monday 22 December to Sunday 28 December), more than 2,000 people attended A&E departments or Urgent Care Centres (UCCs) at the county’s main hospitals.
This is an increase of almost 10% on the same period last year even taking into account the relocation of the Shropshire Walk-In Centre to the Urgent Care Centre at RSH, which itself saw over 300 patients during the week. More than 700 of the people attending last week did so over the weekend.
Many people who attended A&E did not need to be there and could have been treated elsewhere. Hospitals can get especially busy during winter, when viruses such as flu and norovirus are circulating, and slips and trips are common. Choosing the right NHS service not only will help ease the pressure on A&E staff, but also may result in quicker treatment.
Over the weekend, hard-working staff in the Accident and Emergency Departments and the Urgent Care Centre were presented with a range of cases that didn’t need to be seen at A&E or UCC.
A man with constipation and a woman whose child had earache could have sought advice online at www.nhs.uk or from one of the many pharmacists open over the Christmas period before seeking advice from their GP on the next working day if the symptoms persisted.
A woman with dental problems could have saved her time and an unnecessary visit to hospital by calling the emergency dentist advice line on NHS111.
An older teenager with a painful toenail could have sought advice from NHS111 or a pharmacist before calling their GP practice on the next working day if symptoms persisted.
Someone who has been experiencing pain for 12 months asked to be referred to see a consultant. However, they had already been referred by their GP to a consultant at a different hospital but had failed to attend their appointment twice. They were advised to visit their GP practice on the next working day.
Dr Edwin Borman, Medical Director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said:
“Our A&E departments are likely to remain very busy this week and over the New Year period. I would like to remind people that A&E is for life-threatening and emergency conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems and serious accidents. We need to make sure that A&E services are free to help the people who really need them.
“The examples we have seen over the weekend, unfortunately, are not unusual. Up to one out of every four people who go to A&E could have treated themselves or used an alternative local service, avoiding what can be an unnecessary and stressful visit to hospital.
“Hospitals around the region, and indeed across the country, are very busy and we are again asking people to think carefully about whether A&E really is the best place for their condition.”
