NHS emergency departments under severe pressure from flu, vomiting & diarrhoea

Thursday 28 November 2019

Emergency departments and 999 services across the North East and North Cumbria are already extremely busy with the colder weather, which is affecting people with long-term health conditions, children and the over 65s in particular.

Members of the public should be prepared for long waits in emergency departments if they attend with any minor illnesses or ailments as NHS staff will focus on treating those with the most urgent medical needs first.

People are being reminded that emergency departments and 999 should only be used if someone is in immediate need of critical or life-saving care. In all other cases, alternatives should be used.

There are a wealth of NHS services people can use to treat less serious injuries and illnesses:

• If people start to feel unwell, they’re urged not to wait until they get worse but instead to ask a pharmacist for expert confidential advice or visit nhs.uk for advice about where to get the right treatment.
• Many ailments can be treated using over-the-counter medicines and expert advice from a pharmacist with people urged to ‘talk before you walk’.
• GPs can deal with a range of conditions with out-of-hours appointments available.
• Equally, urgent care/treatment centres offer high-quality care for a broad range of problems; often with much shorter waits.
• If people have an urgent health need that cannot wait, but not sure if you should go to your local emergency department, contact 111 services via the website 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 (available 24/7).

NHS leaders are also urging people who are at risk from flu to take up their offer of a free vaccination as soon as possible by contacting their GP practice. This includes people aged 65 and over, and those with certain medical conditions and pregnant women.

A joint statement on behalf of all NHS providers in the region said:

“It is important to remember that your local emergency department should be reserved for people in immediate need of critical or lifesaving care. There are a range of high quality alternatives to choose from. If you are unsure which is right for you, you can contact NHS 111 online or by telephone.

“Simple steps, like washing your hands regularly and getting the flu vaccine are the best protection we have against the seasonal illnesses; many of which can cause severe illness and even deaths for those who are most vulnerable.

“For everyone else, although flu and vomiting and diarrhoea are nasty, they will get better without the need to attend hospital. Both are highly infectious and as such, we are urging people with symptoms to stay away from hospital to help ease the pressure on our busy teams and stop the virus spreading.”

Meanwhile, to help ensure that patients who really need emergency care receive the quickest possible treatment, members of the public should only dial 999 or attend emergency care for serious medical emergencies.

Medical emergencies requiring emergency department care include:

• Chest pain;
• Breathing difficulties;
• Unconsciousness;
• Severe loss of blood;
• Severe burns;
• Choking;
• Fitting;
• Severe allergic reactions.

Issued on behalf of all NHS trusts in the North East and Cumbria and the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS)