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| Coronavirus: Plea for public to get medical care when they need it | Coronavirus: Plea for public to get medical care when they need it |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| People should seek medical care when they need it and not be put off by the coronavirus epidemic, say doctors, charities and the health service. | People should seek medical care when they need it and not be put off by the coronavirus epidemic, say doctors, charities and the health service. |
| Anyone who delays seeking treatment is putting their long-term health at risk, as well as their life, they warn. | Anyone who delays seeking treatment is putting their long-term health at risk, as well as their life, they warn. |
| Half the usual number of people are going to A&E and treatment for heart attacks and strokes is down. | Half the usual number of people are going to A&E and treatment for heart attacks and strokes is down. |
| Seeking medical help is one of the four reasons people can safely leave home, government guidance says. | Seeking medical help is one of the four reasons people can safely leave home, government guidance says. |
| NHS England's medical director Stephen Powis said he was concerned by the reduced numbers. | NHS England's medical director Stephen Powis said he was concerned by the reduced numbers. |
| "If you do have symptoms of stroke, chest pain and think it might be a heart attack, a sick child who is deteriorating, if you are a pregnant woman and the baby is not moving as much as it used to - it is important you don't delay," he said. | "If you do have symptoms of stroke, chest pain and think it might be a heart attack, a sick child who is deteriorating, if you are a pregnant woman and the baby is not moving as much as it used to - it is important you don't delay," he said. |
| Prof Powis suggested the falling numbers were due to people worrying about bothering the NHS and fears of catching the virus in a medical environment. | Prof Powis suggested the falling numbers were due to people worrying about bothering the NHS and fears of catching the virus in a medical environment. |
| But he said he wanted to reassure people that A&E departments and GPs' surgeries had made changes to keep staff and patients safe, for example GPs talking through a patient's symptoms on the phone before asking them to go into a surgery. | But he said he wanted to reassure people that A&E departments and GPs' surgeries had made changes to keep staff and patients safe, for example GPs talking through a patient's symptoms on the phone before asking them to go into a surgery. |
| A public information campaign persuading people to use the health service will feature NHS staff and start next week. | A public information campaign persuading people to use the health service will feature NHS staff and start next week. |
| It comes as the UK's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty warns of the impact of deaths from causes other than Covid-19 during the lockdown. | It comes as the UK's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty warns of the impact of deaths from causes other than Covid-19 during the lockdown. |
| On Saturday, NHS England announced a further 711 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in hospitals in England. | |
| In addition, NHS Wales announced a further 23 deaths in Wales, while NHS Scotland announced an increase of 47 deaths. | |
| A UK-wide update, confirming the latest cumulative total, is expected to be announced imminently. | |
| Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the government needed to move to testing and tracing those who had come into contact with the virus as soon as possible so that people's lives could return to normal. | |
| "Either we are in lockdown for that 18 months which is clearly unsustainable for the economy and it means other health issues build up," he told BBC's Breakfast. | "Either we are in lockdown for that 18 months which is clearly unsustainable for the economy and it means other health issues build up," he told BBC's Breakfast. |
| "People are not going to hospital, peoples' treatment is cancelled, people with cancer are not getting the treatment they need." | "People are not going to hospital, peoples' treatment is cancelled, people with cancer are not getting the treatment they need." |
| How to get help | How to get help |
| Figures suggest half the number of people will go to Accident and Emergency departments in hospitals in England this month, compared with April 2019 - down to just over one million visits. | Figures suggest half the number of people will go to Accident and Emergency departments in hospitals in England this month, compared with April 2019 - down to just over one million visits. |
| And experts say they are concerned people are not getting potentially life-saving treatment for heart attacks and strokes, with a 50% fall in the number of people seeking medical help for heart symptoms. | And experts say they are concerned people are not getting potentially life-saving treatment for heart attacks and strokes, with a 50% fall in the number of people seeking medical help for heart symptoms. |
| Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said it was "vitally important" that the many thousands of people in the UK with existing heart conditions accessed care "immediately" if their condition worsened. | Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said it was "vitally important" that the many thousands of people in the UK with existing heart conditions accessed care "immediately" if their condition worsened. |
| Ryan's story: 'Hanging on by a thread' | Ryan's story: 'Hanging on by a thread' |
| Ryan Wallace, from Limavady, in County Londonderry, did not want to be a burden on the health service when he felt chest pains. | Ryan Wallace, from Limavady, in County Londonderry, did not want to be a burden on the health service when he felt chest pains. |
| But after doctors warned he was close to having a major heart attack he has told others not to put off going to hospital. | But after doctors warned he was close to having a major heart attack he has told others not to put off going to hospital. |
| "Coronavirus was worrying, yes, but I also didn't want to put more burden on the NHS and putting more stress on their already stretched resources. | "Coronavirus was worrying, yes, but I also didn't want to put more burden on the NHS and putting more stress on their already stretched resources. |
| "Their first words were 'you're a lucky boy you came in here.' They showed me in black-and-white on the screen after the procedure and they said I was hanging on by a thread." | "Their first words were 'you're a lucky boy you came in here.' They showed me in black-and-white on the screen after the procedure and they said I was hanging on by a thread." |
| Mr Wallace required three stents to be inserted and said those who stayed away would "only be storing up problems down the line". | Mr Wallace required three stents to be inserted and said those who stayed away would "only be storing up problems down the line". |
| There are also concerns that children may be missing out on medical care during the pandemic. | There are also concerns that children may be missing out on medical care during the pandemic. |
| "Children are unlikely to be unwell with Covid, but they do get sick and when this happens we want to see them," said Prof Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. | "Children are unlikely to be unwell with Covid, but they do get sick and when this happens we want to see them," said Prof Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. |
| There is also a warning that people should not dismiss strokes as "just a funny turn". | There is also a warning that people should not dismiss strokes as "just a funny turn". |
| Juliet Bouverie, from the Stroke Association, said a stroke was a medical emergency. | Juliet Bouverie, from the Stroke Association, said a stroke was a medical emergency. |
| "The quicker you're diagnosed and treated for a stroke, the better your chances of making a good recovery," she said. | "The quicker you're diagnosed and treated for a stroke, the better your chances of making a good recovery," she said. |
| If you suspect that you, or someone else could be having a stroke, call 999. | If you suspect that you, or someone else could be having a stroke, call 999. |
| Prof Powis said that now the NHS was seeing fewer patients with coronavirus, it was time to start building up its services again. | Prof Powis said that now the NHS was seeing fewer patients with coronavirus, it was time to start building up its services again. |
| "The NHS has done a magnificent job responding to coronavirus, we have not been overwhelmed in the way seen in other countries, now it is important to start stepping up again to ensure we are not delaying other procedures," he said. | "The NHS has done a magnificent job responding to coronavirus, we have not been overwhelmed in the way seen in other countries, now it is important to start stepping up again to ensure we are not delaying other procedures," he said. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| How have you been affected by coronavirus? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | How have you been affected by coronavirus? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or please use the form below: | Or please use the form below: |