Hospital doctors urge public to choose well

Dr Andrew Rowland, Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at North Manchester General Hospital

Doctors from The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and local NHS partners are encouraging everyone to make the best use of local NHS resources, including their local community pharmacy, and to ensure that emergency health services are available for the sickest of patients.

Local people are being reminded to stock up their cupboards with over the counter medicines ready for the winter and holiday period.

Patients who require repeat prescriptions are also asked to think ahead and get hold of the required amount before local General Practices close for Christmas.

Traditionally winter months see an increase in coughs, colds and flu like symptoms, which can all be alleviated with over the counter remedies, available from local pharmacies.

Dr Kassim Ali, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “A&E departments and the ambulance service experience a significant rise in the number of patients we see each winter.

"Minor illnesses such as colds and flu are fairly self-limiting – you may feel unwell for a few days. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids and take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. As colds and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics will not help get rid of them.

“A&E departments are for those people who are extremely unwell and need urgent medical attention. In a genuine emergency, the A&E department will provide the best possible care to patients.”

Dr Andrew Rowland, Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at North Manchester General Hospital, added: “This winter we are encouraging patients to consider if attending an A&E department is really necessary and the best option available to them, or whether they may be better seeking advice and help from one of the community healthcare services.

“We need to keep A&E departments for those people who are extremely unwell and need urgent medical attention. If patients present with conditions they could have managed with support from the excellent services available in the community, we use up valuable resources which could be better used to treat critically ill adults or children. Of course, in a genuine emergency, the A&E department will provide the best possible care to patients.”

Patients are urged to consider the full range of NHS services available to them. Advice about self care and details of local health services are available via the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk or by calling 0845 46 47.

By choosing and using the right services, patients can expect to be seen or treated more quickly, whilst keeping emergency services free for those patients who need them most.

A series of short videos about the NHS Choose Well campaign are available on the ChooseWellManchester YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ChooseWellManchester). The videos cover a range of self-care related topics and advice for the public from how to manage high temperatures in children to how to register with a GP and also what an A&E department does and when you should - and shouldn’t - go there.