A&Es ‘under siege’ by patients complaining of hiccups and ingrown nails
A&Es across the country are ‘under siege’ from hundreds of thousands of patients coming in with common and mild conditions, including hiccups, itchy skin, and ingrown nails.
This is according to new data from NHS England which shows there were more than 200,000 A&E attendances last winter for conditions that could have easily been dealt with elsewhere, clogging up the system that is designed to deal with real emergencies.
Last year’s winter A&E attendances included 8,669 patients with itching skin, 3,890 presenting with ingrowing nails, and 384 complaining of hiccups. 96,998 people with sore throats also attended A&E, as did 6,382 with nasal congestion.
The number of attendances at A&E for a blocked nose rose by nearly a third last winter compared to summer 2024, and there was a 12% increase in A&E cases involving a sore throat.
With flu cases on the rise and a resident doctors’ strikes from 17-22 December, this is a dangerous time of year for hospitals, and as we head into winter, A&E attendances are already 37,000 higher this October than last year.
The NHS hopes its plan to allow pharmacies to deliver certain types of care directly will help free up capacity. Under this initiative, pharmacies in England are able to directly provide support and prescription medicines for common conditions including sore throats, sinusitis, and earache.
New urgent treatment centres have been opening across England in recent weeks to help attend patients in need of urgent care. The NHS has also delivered 16.3 million flu vaccines so far this autumn in an effort to prevent people from becoming seriously ill with the virus.
Rather than attending A&E for a minor illness, the NHS recommends a variety of alternative options if they are feasible, including online consultation through a GP, visiting a pharmacy for treatment, attending an urgent care centre, or booking an appointment via NHS 111.
“The last place a patient wants to be when they have a minor illness is in a busy A&E – so this winter NHS staff are working hard to expand the number of routes into the NHS so patients can get fast and convenient care closer to them,” said NHS National Director of Urgent and Emergency Care Julian Redhead.
“The current flu wave and strikes will increase the chances of hospitals getting much busier this winter– and it’s more important than ever that patients are getting the care they need in the most appropriate place.”
“By ensuring everyone is using the right service for them, more people will be seen faster in the most appropriate place and life-saving A&E services will be kept for those patients who need them most,” Redhead said.
