Alarm over Britons who go to A&E instead of GP
BEWARE OF DANGERS IN THE HOME
BRITONS living in deprived areas are more likely to visit hospital accident and emergency services instead of using their GP, a survey has found.
Many prefer A&E because they believe they can get tested quicker, the poll revealed.
Around half of Britons think it is too hard to get a GP appointment, while the same proportion would search online for health advice.
But nine in ten think too many people use A&E services unnecessarily, the survey showed.
The poll of 3,000 people by the National Centre for Social Research is thought to be the first large-scale research into attitudes to emergency care.
It found that people living in more deprived areas believe medics in A&E are more knowledgeable than GPs. Alicia O’Cathain, of the Medical Care Research Unit at Sheffield University, which commissioned the research, said differing attitudes towards A&E and GP services “may contribute to the overuse MORE accidents occur at home than anywhere else, with children being particularly prone to injury.
Home accidents account for 6,000 UK deaths every year, research reveals.
More than 60 under-14s die every year after an accident in the home, with 25,000 under-5s attending A&E after accidentally being poisoned.
And 13 children under
of critical emergency care functions”.
She added: “It’s clear that there are lessons in these findings which will help government to better understand and support those least confident in using health services.”
Professor Helen StokesLampard, chair of the Royal the age of four suffer a severe injury from a burn or a scald each day. However, falls are the most common type of accident.
The figures are revealed by property inspection specialists VeriSmart.
Jonathan Senior, head of VeriSmart, said: “Children are curious by nature, so window locks and safety gates are reliable ways to protect them from danger.”
College of GPs, said more public education was needed so patients know where to turn when they become ill.
She said: “We understand our patients’ frustrations when they cannot secure a GP appointment when they need one. However, patients should only ever go to A&E in an emergency – if they need to see a GP urgently, they should always be able to through our routine service, urgent treatment centres, and the GP outof-hours service.
“We are working incredibly hard to ensure this happens, and this is reflected in the most recent NHS figures.”
The survey also found people aged 18-24 were twice as likely to research health problems online than those aged 75 and over.
Beccy Baird, of the King’s Fund think tank, said those who need health and care services “can’t get online to make use of digital services”.
She said: “Three in 10 people aged 65-plus responding to the BSA Survey reported not having internet access, so whilst digital technology offers many opportunities, it is clearly no panacea.”