NHS needs your support

Our local hospitals are urging everyone across our region to play their part in supporting them during an extremely busy period, by making the right choices.

Hospital leaders have said local people can help to reduce pressure on services in three specific ways:

• Helping loved ones who are well enough to leave hospital, to recover at home or in another suitable care setting, so that beds are available for those who need to be cared for in hospital.
• Visiting www.111.nhs.uk for healthcare advice when it is not an emergency, to ensure you use the most appropriate service for your needs and so that those who really need to be in A&E can be seen as quickly as possible.
• Calling 999 only when it is a genuine life-threatening emergency, so that ambulances are able to respond quickly to those who require emergency care.

The NHS 111 online service is able to give advice, including to those who think that they might need to visit a minor injury unit to treat issues such as broken bones and burns, while pharmacists can help with minor complaints including coughs, colds, ear ache and rashes.