Our Emergency Departments are currently very busy with very high numbers of acutely unwell people, and our staff are working hard to give patients the emergency care they need and, if necessary, admit them into a hospital bed in a timely way.
The increase in seriously ill and injured patients needing to be admitted into hospital is coupled with low numbers of patients, who no longer need acute hospital care being discharged, and this inevitably impacts on the availability of beds within the hospital. To help us continue to prioritise those patients who most need our care, we ask the public to use our Emergency Departments appropriately and consider the many alternative services available if they do not require emergency treatment. These services include your GP, phoning 111, your local pharmacist and walk-in centres.