Chesterfield Royal Hospital's emergency department 'very busy' as bosses urge people to 'think carefully' about treatment

Health chiefs have repeated their call to residents to ‘think carefully about the treatment they need’ before attending hospital after seeing a surge in patients over the last few days.

A total of 1,100 patients attended A&E between Monday and Thursday last week.

A Royal spokesperson said: “We’re starting to see higher numbers of patients and want to make sure that services don’t become under pressure across the board simply because these services are not being used appropriately.

"This is why we’re asking people to think about what service they might need; if you’re unsure then it is always worth picking up the phone and speaking to a health expert at NHS111 who will be able to give you advice, direct you to the nearest and most appropriate service and in some cases even make an appointment for you."

The Royal says genuine emergencies will be dealt with first and people with less serious conditions could face long delays.

"Our ED is here for potentially life threatening conditions such as severe chest pains, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding or head injuries, not minor cuts, headaches, neck pain or if you generally feel unwell,” the spokesperson added.

"If you come to ED with a condition that isn’t as serious, you could face a lengthy wait for treatment as our emergency teams will deal with genuine emergencies first.”

Some residents have claimed this surge in demand is because GP surgeries have yet to return to full capacity as we emerge from the pandemic.

However, Joined Up Care Derbyshire, which speaks for GP surgeries in the county, said family doctors face ‘enormous challenges’.

“Despite the pandemic, most GP practices are continuing to treat patients, with an increase in the use of phone and video consultations to ensure there is a reduction in unnecessary contact within the surgery,” a spokesperson said.

"Patients are still seen face-to-face in surgery where this is necessary.

"Practice staff have also been busy helping to run the Covid-19 vaccination programme.”

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