People are being urged to only go to the Accident and Emergency department at Macclesfield Hospital if absolutely necessary.
With the hospital's A&E services becoming very busy this week, East Cheshire NHS Trust is reminding people that A&E should only be used for major, life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Trust Chief Executive John Wilbraham said: "Along with many other NHS trusts, we are currently seeing a very high volume of patients attending our A&E department and this is creating significant challenges for our services.
"That is why it is vital that the only people coming in to A&E are those who really need to. We are asking people to save A&E for genuine, life-threatening emergencies and instead consider options such as local pharmacies, GP surgeries and NHS 111."
Generally, you should visit A&E or call 999 for life-threatening emergencies, such as:
• Loss of consciousness
• Acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
• Persistent, severe chest pain
• Breathing difficulties
• Severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
For illnesses that are not life-threatening, people should first contact their local pharmacies, GP surgery or NHS 111.
NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can advise you on the best local service for the care you need.
The Minor Injuries Unit at Congleton War Memorial Hospital can also be used for minor injuries such as:
• Minor burns
• Cuts
• Minor foreign body removal, ie splinters
• Sprains
• Minor finger dislocations
East Cheshire NHS Trust's GP Out-of-Hours Service can also be used for assessment, advice and treatment as required for urgent healthcare problems that cannot safely wait until your GP surgery is open. The GP Out-of-Hours Services patient line is 01625 502999.
Local pharmacies can also offer help, advice and treatment for lots of common conditions. A list of local pharmacies across Eastern Cheshire and their opening hours over the New Year period can be found on East Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group's website.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Broken bones, head injuries, pregnancy complications, stroke or even the symptoms of heart problems are not always obviously life threatening, but the statements from this hospital would have you book an appointment with your doctor rather than go to A&E.
The message should be, don't use A&E for non emergency symptoms and leave us to judge, instead of publishing a very short and incomplete list of symptoms that permit you to use A&E. Lets hope that patients who need emergency help are not put off seeking by this incompetent announcement.
What would be useful is access to live A&E waiting times so with, non-life threatening, emergencies we could decide whether to go to Macclesfield or Wythenshawe. This would help balance the load, improve waiting time stats and improve patient experience.
My definition of an emergency only includes life-threatening condtions, eg heart attack, stroke, severe asthma attack, diabetic coma, severe trauma and some pregnancy related emergencies (list not exhaustive), but not cut fingers, effects of alcohol, in-growing toe nail etc.
Macc DGH offers a GP out of hours clinic and OOH home visit tel service for treatment of urgent, non-life threatening conditions, but not subject to A&E waiting time limits.
Even the professionals get it wrong occ, patient discharged after blow to head, dies next day from a sub-dural haemorrhage, hence most head injuries admitted for 'observation'. A&E is oft limited by available ward beds.
Jo(e) Public is not a trained clinician, nor does he have to be, but only he can decide what route to follow, in most cases it is an inappropriate visit to A&E, poss after 999 call.
40 yrs ago, I awoke during middle of night in severe pain (not GI related), GP OOH home visit requested, attended within hour and ambulance requested and I was on operating table by 5am (though condition not immediately life-threatening). That is the standard of service I still expect of NHS.
NHS UK have just spent £000s on their Act FAST campaign to spot early victims of stroke, yet recent Govt guidance is to downgrade strokes to 18 min ambulance response time, rather than 8 mins for heart attack victims.
Strokes are often non-fatal but recovery/maintenance cost, to NHS, is prob greater.
PS I am not a medical professional.
I can tell you that this xmas a friend's child attended a GP for a minor injury and was told to attend A&E. I also attended my GP 18 months ago with an injury and was.. guess what?.. told to attend A&E. A&E is for injuries too.
So much is open to interpretation that it is best not to put people off attending A&E by trying to define a narrow set of symptoms that make it OK to attend A&E. Also I suspect that the vast majority of A&E visits are perfectly proper.