2 February 2017

Doctors across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin are advising people to consider using alternatives to accident and emergency units as local hospitals face an increase in demand for services.

There has been a large increase in demand locally, and leading doctors are advising people suffering from minor illness or injuries to use other more appropriate health services and allow hospitals to focus on those people with serious conditions, who need to be seen urgently.

Alternative sources of care for non-critical ailments are:

  • Go to a local pharmacy – they can provide advice and treat a range of minor illnesses and conditions.
  • NHS 111 – Call 111 for free from any phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and you can quickly access appropriate health information and advice
  • Minor Injuries Units around the county can treat a range of minor conditions without the need to travel to an A&E department
  • You can also book urgent appointments at GP practices, often for the same day or if you are poorly out of normal working hours, you can call Shropdoc the GP Out-of-Hours service on 0333 222 66 55.

Remember: A&E is only for the most serious and life-threatening cases.

Dr John Jones, a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Deputy Medical Director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford, said:

“Our hospitals continue to face incredibly high levels of demand, as are hospitals across the country.

“In the first three days of this week alone, we saw almost 1,000 patients attending our A&E Departments*. Of these, a total of 303 arrived by ambulance. A total of 251 people who attended our A&Es were admitted, while a further 211 were admitted to our hospitals during these three days after being referred to our Acute Medical Units.

“We know that for some, a journey to A&E is essential; but we also know that there are many people who do not need the specialist care that our A&Es provide.

“Once again we would ask people to please think carefully about alternative local services. These do not provide less of a service for non-urgent conditions, but can help people avoid what can be a lengthy and stressful visit to hospital.”

Dr Jo Leahy, Chair of Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “People with life-threatening conditions will always receive the highest priority in A&E. That means that other people who attend may have extremely long waits.

“We would urge people to use other local alternatives that are available.”

Dr Julian Povey, Chair of Shropshire CCG added: “Your own GP practice, Shropdoc, NHS 111 or local pharmacies are all great places to seek medical advice from for minor injuries or illnesses, which mean a long wait at A&E is not needed, and those that need to be seen urgently, can be.”

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

* From Monday (30 Jan 2017) until Wednesday (1 Feb 2017) a total of 954 people attended the A&Es at RSH and PRH.

 

Alternatives to A&E include:

 

Pharmacies – for expert advice and treatment for minor ailments.

Some pharmacies in Shropshire and Telford also participate in the NHS minor ailment scheme.

The scheme is designed to enable people with minor health conditions to access medicines and advice they would otherwise visit their doctor for.

It allows patients to see a qualified health professional at a convenient and accessible location within their community, and means patients do not need to wait for a GP appointment or queue up for a valuable A&E slot with a non-urgent condition.

For participating pharmacies, visit http://www.telfordccg.nhs.uk/your-health/pharmacies/1125-community-pharmacies-participating-in-minor-ailments-service-jan-2017/file – Telford CCG or – Shropshire CCG

 

NHS111 – 111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It’s fast, easy and free. Call 111 and speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation.

 

Local minor injuries units/walk in centres

Local minor injuries units:

Bridgnorth MIU is open daily from 8am until 9.30pm:

Bridgnorth Community Hospital
Northgate
Bridgnorth
Shropshire
WV16 4EU

 

Ludlow MIU is open daily from 8am until 8pm:

Ludlow Community Hospital
Gravel Hill
Ludlow
Shropshire
SY8 1QX 

 

Oswestry MIU is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 6pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.30am until 1pm:

Oswestry Health Centre
Thomas Savin Road
Off Gobowen Road
Oswestry
Shropshire
SY11 1GA

 

Whitchurch MIU is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm:

Whitchurch Community Hospital
Whitchurch
Shropshire
(SatNav postcode: SY13 1RR)
SY13 1NT

 

Walk-in centres in Shrewsbury and Telford & Wrekin are:

 

Shropshire Walk-In Centre is open every day from 8am until 8pm:

Urgent Care Centre

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Mytton Oak Road

Shrewsbury

SY3 8XQ

Tel: 01743 231000

 

Malling Health Wrekin (Princess Royal Hospital) is open every day from 8am until 8pm:

Princess Royal Hospital

Apley Castle

Telford

TF1 6TF

Tel: 01952 457414

 

To find out about health services available near you visit http://www.nhs.uk/service-search