Hospital bosses have asked people ‘not go to A&E unless it’s a genuine life and limb emergency’
The emergency department at Hull Royal Infirmary is under pressure with people being warned of long waits “unless they are a genuine medical emergency”. The Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) says there has been a ‘surge’ of “walking wounded” along with people with seasonal illnesses and viruses turning up at the Hull hospital’s Emergency Care Area in recent days.
This is putting emergency services and frontline teams “under strain” with hospital bosses pleading with people to only go to A&E if it’s a “genuine life and limb emergency”. People are advised to use alternative services such as their GPs, local pharmacists or one of the Urgent Treatment Centres in Goole, Bridlington, Bransholme, Hull or Beverley unless they are in genuine need of emergency care.
Dr Nigel Wells, ICB Chief Medical Officer, said: “If you do become unwell and need advice or help, pharmacies can deal with many minor ailments. If you feel it’s something a little more serious – including dental emergencies – NHS 111 will help direct you to the help you need. You can call 111 or search NHS 111 online.
“We would never discourage anyone from coming forward to seek help when they’re unwell, but we would ask people not go to A&E unless it’s a genuine life and limb emergency. A&Es tend to be very busy over winter and we want to ensure critical services aren’t being taken up by people with minor illnesses who could easily get help or treatment elsewhere.
“In medical emergencies that could be life or limb-threatening, such as a heart attack, stroke, severe blood loss, or choking, please do not hesitate to call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.”
Urgent treatment centres can help with sprains and strains, suspected broken bones, injuries, cuts and bruises, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, skin infections and rashes, high temperature in children and adults and mental health concerns.
Hull’s A&E is there to provide emergency medical attention for serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries including heavy bleeding, unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, strokes, seizures or choking.
People should call NHS111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk online if they are not sure of the best place to go. The NHS added: “Checking where to go with NHS111 first means you’ll avoid unnecessary waits in an A&E and it’s likely that you’ll be seen far more quickly if you go somewhere else.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that visitors to wards and clinical departments at Hull Royal Infirmary are now being asked to wear face masks to protect patients from winter illnesses. Staff in all clinical areas of the hospital will be wearing face masks after an increase in patients admitted to hospital with flu, diarrhoea and vomiting and Norovirus over the past week.
Dr Debbie Wearmouth, infection doctor at Hull University Teaching Hospitals, said: “We are asking visitors to wear masks in wards, clinics and clinical departments to help us protect our patients, already vulnerable through illness and injury, so they don’t catch these potentially serious illnesses.
“We’ve been seeing an increasing number of patients with bugs, currently circulating in our communities, and some of them are very seriously ill, requiring critical care.
“Wearing masks when you come to Hull Royal Infirmary, either as a visitor or to attend appointments, will help us stop these infections spreading further.” Dr Wearmouth is also urging people who are already ill or showing signs of flu, diarrhoea and vomiting or other respiratory illnesses not to come to hospital to visit patients.