Torbay Hospital has issued a desperate plea after its emergency department becomes inundated with sick patients needing urgent care.
The hospital is urging people to only visit its emergency department if they are suffering a life-threatening condition.
Yesterday, Amy Jones, emergency medicine consultant, begged “everybody to think carefully” before attending the emergency department which faced “huge amounts of patients” requiring urgent and emergency care.
Speaking outside the hospital, she said: “We are facing an incredibly busy day, we are facing huge amounts of patients requiring urgent and emergency care.
“We are urging everybody to think carefully before attending an emergency department about whether or not you need to be seen in an urgent or emergency basis, or whether or not you will be able to access another service which will be able to help you.
“We appreciate that there are challenges across the whole of the system with GPs’ and the 111 system becoming somewhat overwhelmed but we would urge you, if you can, to go on line and use the NHS 111 app or online services to try and see if there is an alternative way of getting the help that you may need.
“Please feel free to dial 999 in an emergency but please try and make sure that this is a genuine and emergency and not something you can access another service in another time.
“I would also ask parents of children to consider using the NHS handi app which has got significant resources and help available for parents of small children.”
In a statement, the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said: “It is vital that people remember to #think111 for advice when they need help including accessing the online service at https://111.nhs.uk
“The HANDi Paediatric app also provides up-to-date advice on common childhood illnesses and how to treat them.
“Thank you for your support and for helping us make sure that we can care for those most in need.”