Patients clogging up A&E with hiccups, sore throats and niggles

Recent NHS data reveals that during the last winter period, thousands of patients visited A&E departments across England for minor ailments that could have been effectively managed elsewhere. Health officials have raised concerns about the strain this places on already burdened emergency services. From November through February, over 200,000 attendances were recorded for relatively minor conditions such as hiccups and ingrown toenails, accounting for more than 2% of total A&E visits during that time.

These visits included 6,382 cases of nasal congestion, 83,705 visits for earaches, nearly 97,000 sore throat consultations, 3,890 instances involving ingrowing nails, 8,669 for skin itching, and 384 for hiccups. Patients turned up at both major accident and emergency departments as well as minor injury units run by hospitals. Research indicates one key reason for these unnecessary A&E visits is difficulty securing timely GP appointments, with over 20% of patients unable to contact their GP on the same day they tried.

NHS England encourages patients experiencing such minor issues to seek alternatives like pharmacists, NHS 111 (via phone or online), or local GPs, many of whom now offer online services. Pharmacists can provide prescription-only medications for common ailments including sore throats, sinusitis, and earaches, which traditionally required a GP visit. To support this message, NHS England has launched a social media campaign featuring a video titled “24 Hours Not In A&E,” promoting accessible care pathways outside emergency departments.

Julian Redhead, NHS England’s urgent and emergency care director, stressed the importance of using the appropriate services: “The last place a patient wants to be when they have a minor illness is in a busy A&E – so this winter we’re working hard to expand the number of routes into the NHS so patients can get fast and convenient care closer to them. Whether the services are online, over the phone or in person, a variety of doorways to care are open across the NHS.” GP Dr Ellie Cannon, appearing in the video, highlighted the benefit of contacting GPs through websites rather than relying solely on phone lines, noting that “knowing where to get the care you need can make all the difference.” Although online booking has been widely adopted—with over 98% of practices offering it—some concerns remain from the British Medical Association about the potential for increased workload through online consultations. Meanwhile, the NHS is preparing for a challenging winter amid rising flu cases and the prospect of further industrial action by junior doctors scheduled for mid-December

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More