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People urged to avoid A&E for non-emergencies
Health chiefs in Bristol have urged people to think twice before using the emergency services, after hospitals across the city were inundated this weekend with non-emergency calls, including one from someone who had had earache for only 10 minutes.
They claim the unprecedented demand on urgent care and emergency services at Southmead, Bristol Royal Infirmary and Weston General was caused by people turning up at A&E with non-urgent and minor ailments such as coughs, colds and sneezes, sickness and diarrhoea.
“Using A&E for convenience”
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A spokesman for the health trusts said this “caused some delays for those patients requiring more urgent care and potentially could compromise their safety”.
“Following a system wide review…it is clear that the number of patients’ not needing urgent or emergency medical attention but using A&E for convenience has increased over the weekend”.
Simon Odum, ED consultant at North Bristol NHS Trust said: “We have seen a significant increase in people who have been ill for only a few hours, presenting with earache and flu like symptoms, which is common and can be expected at this time of year and they are using A&E and emergency services inappropriately. ”
He added that people have been using the urgent care service for lost medication, coughs and colds which they have only had for a day and “in one instance a patient who had had earache for 10 minutes”.
“We are asking people to really consider their options and if they really need to go to an emergency department?…If you call 999 or visit an A&E with something that isn’t an emergency you are likely to be waiting a long time. You may also hold up treatment for someone who genuinely does need it.”
“Free up my team”
A&E’s across the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area continue to be busy from the New Year period and demand has also increased on the ambulance service and Out of Hours services.
Scott Watters, Clinical Lead for Care UK’s NHS 111 service in the South west, said: “We are receiving quite a few calls from people in the early stages of sore throats, colds and similar. If people with these kinds of conditions, who are otherwise fit and well, could try to treat themselves…it will free up my team to speak to patients who are more vulnerable and genuinely need urgent health advice.”
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