Patients urged to help ease pressure on A&E

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Hospital bosses are urging people to not attend A&E unless they have an urgent or life-threatening condition.NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it’s experiencing “unprecedented and unsustainable demand on emergency services”.The health board has issued an appeal asking people to use more appropriate services like their GP or pharmacy instead of turning up at A&E to ease the pressure on staff.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.Dr Scott Davidson, Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services for NHSGGC, said: “Our A&Es remain open and continue to assess, treat and admit emergency patients, however they are extremely busy and staff are facing huge challenges to ensure we’re able to treat patients safely and as quickly as possible.“We continue to see large numbers of people attending with symptoms that could be managed by speaking to a GP, local pharmacy, or, by calling NHS24 on 111 before attending A&E.“As a result of current demand at A&E, people are facing long wait times and our staff are under severe pressure.”A&Es across the health board – including at the RAH in Paisley – remain extremely busy, with all operating well over normal capacity which is having a huge impact on service provision.Unless very urgent or life-threatening, patients should always call NHS24 first on 111 to make sure they are directed to the most appropriate urgent service for their needs and A&Es are safeguarded those who need them most.Dr Davidson added: “GP practices across Greater Glasgow and Clyde are operating normal hours, and community pharmacies are also open to help you get the treatment you need.“Unless very urgent or life-threatening, please do not attend our A&Es unless you are