ROYAL Surrey County Hospital in Guildford is urging people with non-emergency concerns to stay away from A&E as pressure increases on the department.
The NHS trust which runs the hospital says its emergency care is under 'severe pressure' and is warning visitors they are likely to face an 'extremely long wait' for treatment.
The Trust said those attending the emergency department unnecessarily will be taking staff away from patients who need emergency or life-saving care.
It added: "The Trust asks local people to bear with them during this time of unprecedented demand and help them to prioritise their most urgent patients."
Residents are being asked to seek alternatives if their ailment is not life-threatening.
The range of options available include:
- NHS 111: a free service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Trained advisors and medical staff will assess your condition on the phone and point you to the right service for fast advice and support.
- Local pharmacies offer advice and medicines for a range of common conditions, such as coughs, colds and headaches, without the need for an appointment. Free emergency contraception is also available at some local pharmacies.
- GPs: Your GP is best placed to know your medical history. GP practices are open as usual again after the Christmas break, please call your surgery to book an appointment. Please don't come to A&E as an alternative to seeing your GP.
- Self-care: a range of common illnesses and injuries can be treated at home simply by combining a well-stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest.
Meanwhile, Scarborough Hospital has announced they have implemented their major incident plan as winter weather causes demand to soar, with surgeries and treatments postponed as staff address the backlog.
At the weekend, Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General hospitals' emergency departments also buckled under the pressure as staff struggled to cope with a massive surge of patients.
