People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to think about other options before heading to hospital accident and emergency centres.
The plea from Good Hope Hospital is urging residents to remember local walk-in centres, GPs surgeries and NHS Direct can deal with minor injuries and ailments.
Mark Newbold, the hospital’s chief executive, said:
“While we always endeavour to remind the public to only call the ambulance service in genuine emergencies, we do need to ensure that people make appropriate use of our emergency services. We know that some will attend A&E when they could be treated more appropriately and effectively within the community. During busy periods, we need to remind patients of the wide range of information and out-of-hours support and treatment that is available across the region.”
NHS Direct can be contacted by calling 0845 46 47 or visiting www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.
