'Think twice before turning up at A&E'

Date published: 13 October 2011

Local people are being asked to think twice before turning up to A&E, to avoid unnecessary trips and to make sure they receive fast and effective treatment.

The Pennine Acute Hospital’s Trust which runs A&E departments at The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital is urging people to choose the right service to ensure they get the best treatment when they need it.

Rochdale Infirmary no longer has an A&E department so the number of patient’s visiting A&E at the Trust’s other sites has increased.

New beds have been allocated to the Royal Oldham Hospital and there are plans to expand A&E at Fairfield.

Dr Nick Gili, A&E consultant and clinical director for unscheduled care at The Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “All of our staff work incredibly hard to ensure that patients are seen and treated appropriately and as quickly as possible.

“As we approach the winter months, the number of people attending A&E will increase significantly which will put extra pressure on our emergency departments.

“The A&E departments are there to treat critical or life-threatening situations and some people with minor complaints and injuries could be treated elsewhere.

“Many inappropriate calls are made to 999 and it is wrong to assume that by calling an ambulance you will get treated any quicker.

“Priority depends on the patient’s condition and those assessed as being a lower priority will have to wait longer.

“We would ask people to think carefully before turning up to A&E. People with minor ailments can receive a wide range of advice and treatments at local pharmacists, GP surgeries and NHS Walk-in-Centres and Urgent Care Centres. Ensuring our patients get the right treatment at the right time and in the right place is a priority for us.”

NHS Direct can provide advice via its website, digital TV channel or its 24-hour helpline 0845 4647 or online at www.nhs.uk