Millions of patients putting strain on NHS with minor ailments
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Version 0 of 1. Millions of patients are putting unnecessary strain on the NHS by seeking medical help for minor complaints such as colds, insect bites and dandruff, according to a report. Overloaded GP surgeries and A&E units are having to divert scarce resources into dealing with flu, sore backs and travel sickness, the Local Government Association said. The LGA, which represents more than 370 local councils in England and Wales, is urging people suffering from minor ailments to think before they seek NHS help and get used to treating themselves. “We need a new culture of care where people stop and think before calling the doctor,” said Cllr Izzi Seccombe, the chairman of the LGA’s community wellbeing board. “GPs and A&E departments are already overstretched. However, many appointments are unnecessary and for minor conditions that a person could treat or manage themselves.” There are 57m GP consultations every year for minor complaints, including 5.2m for blocked noses, 40,000 for dandruff and 20,000 for travel sickness, according to the LGA report. These appointments, together with 3.7m A&E visits for similar concerns, cost the NHS £2bn a year. The 3.7m visits, 19% of A&E attendances, include people with a sprain (38%), flu (17%), colic (13%) and insect bites (13%). Council leaders are advising patients affected by such ailments to visit a pharmacy or seek treatment advice from the NHS Choices website instead. They say family doctors can play a key role by helping the many millions of people with a long-term condition such as diabetes or heart disease to learn how to manage their illness, reducing the need to seek professional medical help. “Better self-management could make a huge difference to a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Instead, the lack of knowledge among the general population about how they can do this is placing a huge burden on surgeries and hospitals,” said Seccombe, the Conservative leader of Warwickshire county council. The Royal College of GPs backed the plan, but said long waiting times to see a GP can prompt people to seek help at A&E. Prof Maureen Baker, the chair of the RCGP, said: “Minor ailments, including coughs and colds, can be distressing for patients and parents of young children, so it’s important that they are fully aware of the range of NHS services that are available to them in their local area. “When patients in some areas of the country are having to wait for nearly a month to see their GP due to rocketing demand and not enough GPs to keep pace, it makes absolute sense to use alternatives, such as patients visiting their local pharmacist, who will be ideally placed to give them advice and discuss the various treatments available.” |