READERS’ COMMENTS

22,253 patients flood Royal Stoke A&E in one month as waits worst in six years

LINDA SAPONJA ROCK

Having recently visited A&E I witnessed only one qualified nurse and one junior doctor in attendance. The remaining staff were all trainees. Clinical decisions need to be made by fully qualified staff, so until the staffing levels are increased the problems will continue to escalate.

LOUISE CONLON

How about being able to see a doctor at the surgery? People aren’t being diagnosed as they are not being seen properly.

RACHEL BRADBURY

The problem stems from everyone sitting at home not exercising, eating crap and not having small problems treated by the GPS. Now the GPS, paramedics and hospital as a whole are overrun. People are dying or becoming terminally ill from issues that are normally diagnosed at an early stage.

PAULA WILCOCK

How many didn’t need to be in A&E? People should only go to A&E if 111 sends them there. If people are abusing the system, people who don’t need to be there should be directed to other care facilities, like Haywood Hospital, or even pharmacies.

DENISE BECKWITH

If they can’t see a doctor, they’re going to turn up at A&E.

ROBERT DONKIN

No one knows where else to turn unfortunately. If you call the doctor you get a phone call back at any time in the day, and then you have to make another appointment to see them if needed. Painful.

JACKIE GREATBATCH

My doctor told me to go there even though the surgery was empty. I only needed antibiotics.

SHEILA HUGHES

Nursing staff are getting ill from the constant overworking. Triage should send people home who can ring their doctors at 8am the next morning.

ROBERT DAZZLA AILWOOD

They should never have closed the cottage hospitals. It put too much pressure on the general hospital. Putting GPS in triage is just a desperate move.