A&E usage down 40%

[rabbitsnose]

Apart from the people in need that are maybe staying away because they're scared of catching coronavirus, doesn't this prove that A&E has been used in the past by people who didn't really need to be there?

Prof Whitty said in yesterday's briefing that there had been a spike in non-covid related deaths due to people not seeking out help. He said 5-6 thousand extra deaths compared to this time last year. He urged people to make use of A&E in medical emergencies.

Yes Brogley, you are probably right. Everyone in paediatric A&E needs to be there with their non life threatening issues and entire family for company.

Everyone in paediatric A&E needs to be there with their non life threatening issues and entire family for company

That is not what I said. What I said is that unless you are a medical professional or are present in the consulting room, it is not down to you to judge who should or shouldn't be there.

I spent hours in a&e a few months ago. It was nearly all pissed people and sports injuries as far as I could see.

Just thought I would add that in the hospital I work in there has actually been a significant increase in alcohol related admissions since lockdown was commenced.

GrumpyHoonMain - because if you struggle to breath at 3am you need urgent care and immediate help. The advice is to call an ambulance rather than drive him in as he needs oxygen and nebulisers which the paramedics can start from home. I used to drive him in and was told off by the consultant who said they had lost children because parents had driven to the hospital and delayed the start of life saving treatment.

That’s interesting scotnurse and I guess not that surprising.

Yes as others have said there are less people out so less accidents, less alcohol related incidents etc.
I do slightly worry that people who SHOULD go to A&E are too scared about going into hospitals at the moment and might try things like bandaging up wounds etc themselves which could get infected or be worse than they realise.

No.

But attitudes like yours are contributing to people who do need to use it now but are staying away for fear of being labelled a misuse of the NHS not getting the attention they need.

It’s not just A&E. I’m a midwife and the amount of women we see with reduced movements or thinking their waters have broken etc. has dramatically reduced. To the point I spent 3 hours without a patient one day this week when I normally wouldn’t stop all day. My worry is these problems are still happening but people are choosing not to seek help.

My sister works in A&E (not UK though) and has said they no longer get almost any of the cases that shouldn't be there. It is now only the patients that actually need acute care. Haven't asked if any of the acute cases have reduced though or if there are any that have increased.

For ours you must ring first and be assessed before attending. Same for GP. You can't just attend anymore. There's no taxis here and ambulances are for very specific needs only.

Many people have unknown or withheld numbers blocked on their phones due to scams/being vulnerable. They can no longer access any treatment here at all as its health board policy to withhold all numbers.

All non emergency appointments have been cancelled.
All non emergency care has been cancelled.

I know someone who got sheilding letter who I saw this morning out smoking in tears - they've been told they can no longer have chemotherapy and, as they had limited life span anyway that's it now. She was devastated and said there's no point just rotting away at home. I too have had my medical and social care stopped due to it not being emergency, despite again being life threatening.

Many clinics here are now closed down completely with people told to wait for treatment when covid-19 crisis is done. All screening has been indefinitely stopped as well. I know someone with suspected breast cancer but they must wait indefinitely to find out.

To be blunt, many, many people will die from other conditions before this is done.

The NHS is available for anyone who needs it. It does not and will nit discriminate against "worthy ill" and those who random people on the internet deem unworthy. Fat people, alcoholics, even drug abusers pay towards the NHS and are entitled to use it.

It is disgusting that some people think that only those who they decide should be allowed to use a service that we all contribute towards. However, it does suit the ideology of our current and last decades' governments because it removes the argument of their lack of funding and instead blames the general public for lack of capacity.

The same is happening with covid 19. The clear message given by the government is protect the NHS. In order of importance coming before the main aim which should be to save lives. It deflects from them ams their obvious shortcomings and again, blames the general public.

In the meantime people are not going to their GP, not going to their cancer appts, not going to A&E with symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. Whilst for some it is fear of catching the virus, for others it is the clear message that they must stay at home and protect the NHS.

Anecdata, but our biggest client is a car insurance company. Reported accidents are down by 80%.

The number of deaths from people having heary attacks at homehave risen massively this month and last so I think it not as simple as saying people didn't need a&e before. Some of the deahs are probably covid related but I imagine not all

@Indella that’s terrifying.

I too am really worried that in various genuine cases people are avoiding A&E when they really should be going in.

Equally though I am sure lockdown is having a positive impact on the “pissed up getting into a fight and behaving like a twat” type injuries.

My father-in-law is in a care home (dementia) and before all of this I received endless calls to tell me he was on his way to A&E for the smallest of things, a bit of back pain, ingrown toe-nail, split ends you name it. Not a peep now. I'm sure they were not the only home to do this so I suspect this is having an impact as well.

I know someone who works in the hospital in my county and they said its dead. No one is attending.

Deaths for non covid reasons, and could be treated, though are through the roof, I wonder how many were too scared to ask for help or withhold unknown numbers and couldn't be rung back I'll add every GP surgery here is now emergencies only as well so people are missing out on regularly needed treatment which will also impact on condition management.

There's currently a campaign on social media from my health board to get people to attend as a result.

I took my 3 year old DS the other week to Urgent care as he'd cut his head open and it needed gluing. There was one other person there - possible broken foot. It was eery normally you can't get a seat it's so packed.

I did hesitate about taking him though our of Covid worries.

As a healthcare professional, please, please, go to A&E, see your GP, phone 111 - if you are unwell with something other than COVID-19, you are still more than entitled to care, support and treatment.

Just because we are living through a pandemic, it shouldn't mean other health issues should be sidelined or ignored.

Prof Whitty said in yesterday's briefing that there had been a spike in non-covid related deaths due to people not seeking out help. He said 5-6 thousand extra deaths compared to this time last year. He urged people to make use of A&E in medical emergencies.

This this this.

There has been a big increase in NON COVID deaths. Due to people not getting treatment when they need it.

Paediatric A&E for example are very worried that they are not seeing the usual appendicitis or meningitis cases, there is no reason these should be lower. They are worried there are parents with very sick kids at home who will not bring them in due to covid fears and then it will be too late.

Sports injuries are massive. My family are involved in lots of sport and recreational sporting activities. Broken limbs have become a regular occurrence although due to exercise we do not drain thw health service with inactivity related illnesses.
Since lockdown we have stopped everything, collapsed the trampoline and padlocked the mountain bikes.

There has been a massive spike in deaths from strokes and heart attacks because people are too scared to go to A & E. They could have been treated and saved. Still, A & E is full of time wasters eh?

I saw an intensive care consultant being interviewed this week on TV - he said they usually have several people admitted into ITU with sepsis each week but haven’t had a single admission due to sepsis in the last 4 weeks. He said all the staff are very concerned about where these people are and what is happening to them.