People have been urged to think carefully before going to the emergency department at Harrogate District Hospital.
The hospital issued a statement yesterday saying the department had seen a significant increase in patient numbers over the past couple of months.
About 130 patients a day attended the department in March, compared with 160 a day in May.
This meant patients with less urgent issues were waiting longer to be seen.
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Dr Matt Shepherd, consultant emergency medicine and clinical director long term and unscheduled care at the hospital, urged people to call NHS 111 first unless it was a life-threatening illness or injury.
He said:
“We are now seeing approximately eight per cent more patients attending our emergency department than were doing so before covid began, which makes it very difficult to ensure we can safely keep social distancing measures in place.
“Colleagues in the department – and the wider hospital – are working incredibly hard to provide care but we do ask that people think about other healthcare options available to them.
“The most urgent and life-threatening cases take priority, which means that unfortunately people coming in with less urgent issues are experiencing longer waiting times. Our emergency department is for emergencies only, such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, significant head injuries and broken bones.”
He added that alternatives, such as calling NHS 111, consulting a GP or visiting a pharmacist, could mean waiting less time to receive care. He added:
“You can also check any symptoms and find out what to do and when to get help using the NHS website – nhs.uk. It can find services near you, such as local pharmacies, who can offer advice for common health problems such as sore throats and headaches, aches and pains, bumps and bruises or sickness and diarrhoea.”
