Peterborough: Patients Should Avoid A&E For Now

4 February 2014, 16:26 | Updated: 4 February 2014, 17:40

People across the Greater Peterborough area are being asked to consider whether their illness or ailment is really urgent before they seek treatment from the Emergency Department at Peterborough City Hospital.

The hospital has experienced a significant rise in the number of patients being admitted as an emergency. 

The Emergency Department is extremely busy and people are being warned that those attending with ‘non-urgent’ conditions are in for a much longer wait than usual as patients are prioritised according to how poorly they are.

In some cases, patients who could be treated at the Minor Illness and Injuries Unit in Peterborough or the Minor Injuries Unit at Stamford Hospital will be asked to attend there instead. 
 
John Randall, medical director at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told Heart: "Given the increased demand for emergency treatment, we would remind people to consider whether they should seek help from other healthcare services first, such as their pharmacist, GP or local Minor Injuries Unit.

  • In some cases our Emergency Department staff will refer non-urgent cases back to primary care services so that we can prioritise treating the sickest patients first. It is likely that such non-urgent cases will be seen faster in other healthcare settings today."
     
    The Minor Illness and Injuries Unit – at the City Care Centre on Thorpe Road in Peterborough (telephone: 01733 293800) – is open from 8am to 8pm every day.
     
    The Minor Injuries Unit – at Stamford Hospital – is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
     
    Both units are staffed by Emergency Nurse Practitioners who can advise on and treat a wide range of injuries and ailments, including: 
  • Some broken bones
  • Minor dislocations
  • Sprains and strains
  • Burns and scalds
  • Bites and stings
  • Wound infections
  • Minor head injuries
  • Ear, nose and throat infections
  • Infections for which antibiotics are needed
  • Abdominal pain
  • Minor gastric complaints
  • Injuries to the back, shoulder and chest
  • Skin conditions (including spreading cellulitis) 

The current emergency pressures at Peterborough City Hospital means there are also a lack of beds for patients due to attend hospital for planned surgery, which has led to 26 non-urgent elective operations being cancelled today (4 Feb). However, all clinically-urgent and cancer surgeries are still taking place. 
 
John Randall added: "I would like to apologise to those patients who have had routine surgery cancelled and appreciate that this inconvenient, as people usually plan their lives around such a major event. We will do our utmost to ensure these operations are rescheduled as soon as possible."