People with less serious illnesses or injuries are being urged to consider alternative services as Hull Royal Infirmary has faced an influx of hundreds in recent days
Hull Royal Infirmary(Image: NHS Humber Health Partnership)
People are being warned of potentially long waits at Hull Royal Infirmary‘s Emergency Department due to “intense pressure” on services. Patients who need to be admitted to wards also face longer waits as hundreds have descended on the hospital in recent days.
Bosses at the NHS Humber Health Partnership have urged people not in need of emergency treatment to use alternative services such as the Urgent Treatment Centre, a local pharmacist or their GP. It is part of an effort to alleviate pressure on the hospital which yesterday saw 300 people arrive at its Emergency Department. It comes amid reports to Hull Live of patients in beds in corridors of the hospital.
A spokesperson for NHS Humber Health Partnership said on Thursday: “We have been experiencing high numbers of people arriving in our Emergency Department at Hull Royal Infirmary over the last few weeks. Today, more than 300 people have come to our department and almost half of those are people who have walked into our Emergency Care Area with less serious illnesses or injuries.
“While our team work extremely hard to see people as quickly as possible, unfortunately, people could be waiting hours to be seen, especially if they have been triaged and are not in need of emergency treatment. Even if people are unwell enough to require admission to hospital, we are sorry to say that they may also face long waits in our Emergency Department to be admitted to a ward because of the intense pressure on services throughout our hospitals.
“We are always here for people who need us most. However, so we can prioritise the people who need us most, we would appeal to anyone who is not in need of emergency treatment to consider the Urgent Treatment Centre, their local pharmacist or call their GP practice to see if they can speak to another health care professional if their GP can’t offer an appointment.”
People are being warned of long waits at Hull’s Emergency Department unless they are a genuine medical emergency(Image: Humber Health Partnership)
Urgent Treatment Centres are designed to provide urgent medical help when it is not a life-threatening emergency. They can diagnose and deal with many common problems people go to A&E for, including suspected broken bones, cuts and bruises, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, rashes and skin infections, high temperatures, mental health concerns and emergency contraception.
Hull’s Urgent Treatment Centre is at Hull Royal Infirmary, and can accessed near the main hospital entrance. The service is open from 8am-8pm, seven days a week.
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