Use 111 or pharmacy to ease A&E strain

HEALTH officials are urging the public not to heap pressure on accident and emergency units, as they reveal up to 17million hospital visits a year may be needless.

Prof Jane Cummings, the chief nursing officer for NHS England, urged people to use pharmacists and the 111 telephone service whenever possible, as she warned services are now under unprecedented strain.

A number of health trusts have asked the public to keep away from A&E if they can, with others asking any available nurses and doctors to come in to work.

Senior doctors say a rise in flu cases has been enough to overload many hospitals and place heavy strain on ambulance services at the start of the season.

NHS England said that in 2016-17, more than nine million people were sent home from A&E after only getting advice, which could often have been obtained from a pharmacist or by calling 111.

Meanwhile, almost eight million outpatient appointments were wasted by patients who failed to turn up – a rise from 7.5 million in the year before.

Prof Cummings said: “With the NHS coming under pressure as never before, we are asking the public to use the health service responsibly to help ensure that care is readily available for everyone who needs it.”