Plea to use A & E and emergency services only when necessary

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Healthcare NHS Trust has recently seen an increase in the number of people attending its A&E department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. This is consistent with other hospitals across the country.

The Trust has put plans in place to ensure patients continue to receive high quality care. However, in an effort to deal with the higher than expected demand, it is urging people to consider other options available to them before they decide to use A&E.

Dr Tina Kenny, medical director for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust: “It is important that people only use their local A&E department if they are seriously unwell or critically injured. This allows us to treat the very sick people who need our care the most.”

Other options available for patients who are unwell include the minor injuries and illness unit at Wycombe Hospital, their GP and pharmacist and the NHS 111 advice and support service, which is free and provides telephone support 24 hours a day seven days a week.

The ambulance service too, which finds itself under pressure at this time of the year, is reminding members of the public to be ‘winterwise’ by drinking sensibly over Christmas and the New Year.

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is warning that drinking too much alcohol can increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries to yourself and those around you. Regular, high intake of alcohol can also cause a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure (hypertension), alcohol poisoning and cirrhosis of the liver. It can also lead to destructive behaviour, such as drink driving.

SCAS stated in a statement today: “SCAS would encourage people to have fun over the Christmas period but stick to the recommended drinking limits. Women should not drink more than 2-3 units a day (no more than a
standard 175ml glass of wine ABV 13%) whilst men should not drink more than 3-4 units a day (that’s not much more than a pint of strong lager, beer or cider ABV 5.2%).”

SCAS, often in partnership with local healthcare partners, has resources in place to support those injured or taken ill while enjoying the festivities in our city centres this Christmas and New Year, including the SOS bus, which is provided in partnership with St John Ambulance (SJA), which has two treatment beds and three portable beds to treat patients with minor injuries. It runs every Friday and Saturday night at the Cornmarket in Oxford city centre from 10.30pm to 5.30am. SJA first aiders will be treating patients.

Rob Kemp, Operations Director (acting) for SCAS, said: “We want to wish all our public a very Merry Christmas and at the same time want to remind members of the public to enjoy themselves responsibly during the festive period as injuries and accidents are more likely and more severe with the influence of alcohol so please be safe.

“We also want everyone to be aware that this is an incredibly busy period for the ambulance crews. As a result we put on extra resources to cope with the expected demand; we therefore rely on the public to use us wisely to help to ensure that patient care is not compromised assisting us to respond to those patients in genuine life-threatening situations.

““If you do sustain minor injuries or illnesses whilst enjoying the night time economy then please use resources available such as the SOS bus, Safe Space, the ICE bus or the FIRST Stop bus. Use all NHS services appropriately and remember to only call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.”