Residents across Birmingham and the Black Country whose illness or injury is not critical or life-threatening are being urged to stop and consider alternatives in the community before attending A&E amid ‘very high demand’. People who are unwell or have minor injuries but are not deemed in need of emergency care might have to wait hours in waiting rooms for treatment because of the current surge in cases.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust declared a critical incident this week – it’s first in a decade other than during the Covid emergency – meaning it was close to breaking point, with every available bed full, delays in discharging well patients, and continued high demand via A&E. Even patients transported in by ambulance were enduring waits running to hours because of a lack of space inside emergency departments. Some 311 of the trust’s 2,561 beds – around one in eight – are currently taken up with patients with flu, including 13 in a critical condition.
It’s a picture repeated across the region, with neighbouring hospital trusts also reporting high demand, with flu a contributing factor. Health chiefs are now urging families to consider other care options close to home before venturing to A&E, and if in doubt to visit 111.nhs.uk or ring 111 for advice.
READ MORE: Birmingham hospitals declare first critical incident ‘in a decade’ as flu drives up admissions
Margaret Garbett, chief nurse at UHB, which runs the Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, urged people to think twice about where to best get help. Those who should always seek 999 help include patients with a life threatening emergency including severe difficulty in breathing, choking, blood loss, seizures or fits, sudden rapid swelling, or serious injury.
Otherwise patients should consider the following options:
- Contact your GP for emergency/on day appointments
- Call NHS 111 or go online at 111.nhs.uk – open 24/7 and free – for advice
- Visit a local pharmacy – they are trained healthcare professionals and can support with a wide range of common conditions such as sore throat, skin infections, ear infections, pain when you wee (a UTI), upset tummy, emergency contraception and more.
- Visit an Urgent Treatment Centre, which often have much shorter waiting times than A&E and are usually open 12 hours a day.