6 June 2012
Hospital chiefs are reminding people in the city to support their efforts to manage the high number of emergency admissions and choose well following a busy bank holiday period.
The Trust has seen a 13% rise in attendances at its A&E department at the Northern General Hospital over the bank holiday period. The average of attendances for the same period last year was 303 patients per day, in this last period it has increased up to 344. Many of the people attending could have been treated at the Minor Injuries Unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, by their GP or pharmacist or at the NHS Walk I Centre on Broad Lane.
Richard Parker, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, has asked for the public’s support in using all of the available services in the community which are running as normal today.
He said “Our staff are working extremely hard and coping with the extra demand but we are asking people to only use the Accident and Emergency department if it is an emergency. GPs, pharmacists and the NHS Walk In Centre on Broad Lane are all able to provide advice and treatment for minor injuries or illnesses and in most cases you will be seen quicker because in A&E the priority will be given to patients with life threatening injuries/illnesses and emergency cases. “
