People living in Lanarkshire are being urged to seek the right medical advice this winter to avoid unnecessary visits to accident and emergency (A&E) units.

NHS Lanarkshire’s winter campaign is helping signpost people to get the best advice at the right time for any illness or ailment, and only go to A&E in a real emergency. Last winter almost 34,000 people visited A&E in Lanarkshire, many of which had only minor complaints.

Dr John Keaney, NHS Lanarkshire’s divisional medical director for acute services and A&E consultant, said: “With the holiday season fast approaching, NHS services come under increasing pressure as people can experience a range of winter viruses, accidents or require ongoing health support.

“Lanarkshire’s A&E services are already among the busiest in Scotland, with people typically waiting up to four hours or longer during peak times, depending on the urgency of their condition.”
Earlier this year, NHS Lanarkshire reported that emergency staff were under pressure as hundreds of patients visited A&E, despite having only minor conditions. Many health complaints can often be dealt with quickly and safely by other local health experts.

To ensure everyone can access the vital help and support that they need, without lengthy delays, people are being asked to follow this advice:
• Visit NHS Inform first for guidance about health conditions and local services
• Be prepared for winter by stocking up medicine cabinets, filling repeat prescriptions and knowing when local GP surgeries are open over the holidays
• Speak to a local pharmacist for advice on coughs, colds, stomach upsets, pains, minor infections
• Make an appointment with a GP if the illness doesn’t go away – surgeries have extra appointments during winter and can arrange phone consultations or fast track referrals in urgent situations
• Call NHS 24 for out of hours support or if help can’t be accessed any other way

Dr Keaney explains: “We want people to stop and think before they go to A&E, particularly at this time of year.

“While A&E departments may be a convenient option, there are lots of other qualified experts in our community who can safely advise people more quickly on many health conditions, including your pharmacist and GP.

“It is extremely important that we help people access the right help, at the right time and we keep A&E free for emergencies.”

To find out more about the services offered by NHS Lanarkshire visit https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/experts/

To find details of services closest to you, use the services directory on NHS Inform: www.nhsinform.scot

NHS 24: https://www.nhs24.scot/