NHS Pushes Self-Care Push to Ease A&E Pressures
NHS teams are pulling together to promote Self-Care Week, to ease pressures on A&E and 999 services. The number of people using emergency services is continuing to rise.
Self-Care Week starts on 15 November, and NHS teams want to promote the message that many common complaints, such as back-ache, minor sports injuries, stomach upsets, coughs and colds, flu and sore-throats can be treated by having a well-stocked medicine cabinet.
Cheshire, Halton and Warrington GPs are calling on people to support their local emergency services, by stopping and thinking about whether they really need to go to A&E or dial 999 for common complaints.
The rising numbers of people going to A&E means that people with serious conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing difficulties and serious injuries, are having to wait longer than necessary. Figures show that one out of every four people who go to A&E don’t need to be there.
We are working with our local chemists in Cheshire, Halton
and Warrington to raise awareness of the fact that just having
a few basic essentials in your cupboard can help to treat the
symptoms for many common illnesses. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
for example can help with pain relief for anything from back-ache,
to a sprained knee or stomach ache. And your local chemist
can give you expert advice and treatment, without having to go to
A&E or dial 999.
Local chemists can do so much more these days that just give our
prescriptions. Pharmacists are highly-qualified, with
in-depth knowledge about prescription an over-the-counter
medicines. Most high-street chemists have a confidential
consulting room and we know about other local NHS services such as
Walk-in Centres and Urgent Care Centres.
Choose Well is a North West wide communications campaign that aims to get people to use the right NHS service.
The NHS Choices website http://www.nhs.uk/ gives a wide range of advice on how to self-treat minor illnesses and injuries.