Problems with false nails listed among time-wasting trips to A&E
PROBLEMS WITH false nails – and even requests to squeeze blackheads – are among the “medical emergencies” overstretched accident and emergency staff in Hull have been asked to treat.
Others have turned up at Hull Royal Infirmary’s emergency department with stomach upsets, despite the widespread availability of over-the-counter remedies, and the risk of spreading the bug.
The time-wasting trips to A&E have been highlighted in a new video by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust which encourages people to use alternatives health services as it faces “the toughest winter pressures in recent years”.
Kevin Philips, the chief medical officer at the trust, said: “The staff working in our emergency department must be free to deal with people facing life-threatening emergencies.
“However, some of the ‘problems’ staff are asked to deal with are not emergencies or even problems requiring medical attention. We are trying our best to cope with the demands of winter as we see increasing numbers of patients with complex health conditions who need to be admitted to hospital.”
The alternatives include the urgent care centre at Bransholme, as well as GPs, pharmacies and minor injuries units.
Bus advertising, billboards and posters have been produced with slogans including “Give A&E a break. Not a sprain” and “A&E. That’s emergency care. Not emergency contraceptives”.
Posters are also appearing in pub toilets with the message: “Being drunk isn’t an accident. It’s not an emergency either.”
In 2016/17 there were 23.4m attendances at A&E departments – the equivalent of 63,000 attendances each day on average.