Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
NHS offers advice on A&E visits during the festivities
JUDITH TONNER
NHS Lanarkshire officials are urging Airdrie and Coatbridge residents to “be health wise this winter” – and only visit A&E departments in real emergencies.
The health board is encouraging people to seek advice from community sources including pharmacists, GPs and NHS 24 to ensure that all patients are treated as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Last winter saw almost 34,000 people visit the emergency departments at Monklands, Wishaw and Hairmyres Hospitals, with medics saying: “Many had only minor complaints”; and this September saw the health board declare that the three acute sites were experiencing a significant rise in summer patient numbers.
Emergency department consultant Dr John Keaney, who is NHS Lanarkshire’s divisional medical director for acute services, said: “With the holiday season fast approaching, NHS services come under increasing pressure as people can experience a range of winter viruses, accidents or require ongoing health support.
“Lanarkshire’s A&E services are already among the busiest in Scotland, with people typically waiting up to four hours or longer during peak times, depending on the urgency of their condition.
“We want people to stop and think before they go to A&E, particularly at this time of year – while this may be a convenient option, there are lots of other qualified experts in our community who can safely advise people more quickly on many health conditions, including your pharmacist and GP.
“It’s extremely important that we help people access the right help at the right time, and that we keep A&E free for emergencies.”
The health board’s advice, “to ensure everyone can access the vital help and support that they need, without lengthy delays”, is to visit www.nhsinform.scot first for guidance about health conditions and local services, and to be prepared for winter by stocking up medicine cabinets, filling repeat prescriptions and knowing when GP surgeries are open over the holidays.
It also includes speaking to pharmacists for advice on coughs, colds, stomach upsets, pains and minor infections; making an appointment with a GP if required, with surgeries having extra winter appointments during, phone consultations and fast-track referrals available; and contacting NHS 24 for out-of-hours support.
Monklands Hospital’s emergency department has been consistently seeing around 1300 patients per week since midOctober onwards; the high for 2019 to date is the 1504 patients who arrived at the Airdrie facility in the week ending August 25.
Staff told in September how NHS Lanarkshire’s three A& E facilities were “under immense pressure” following an exceptional summer period, with Monklands even beginning opening extra beds at that time and chief executive Calum Campbell saying then: “It’s as if we are in the middle of winter.”
The emergency department at Monklands had 6312 attendances in August, its busiest month of 2019 so far – an eight per cent increase compared to August 2018 and even outstripping the busiest month of last winter, which was January’s 6075 patients.
Information on NHS Lanarkshire services is available at www.nhslanarkshire.scot. nhs.uk/experts/ and further help is at www. nhsinform.scot and www.nhs24.scot.