St Helier and Epsom A&E departments are seeing a patient arrive every three minutes on average. The trust asks people to use NHS 111 online and get a flu jab.
The emergency departments at St Helier and Epsom hospitals are currently seeing a patient arrive every three minutes on average, the trust that runs them said on Monday 2 November, and it expects the pressure to grow as winter sets in.
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals, part of the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group, said trusts across England are seeing high demand and warning patients of long waits, and that its own hospitals are no exception. It has asked local media to help it reach patients and the wider community.
What the hospital’s chief executive says
Chinyama Okunuga, site chief executive officer of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals, said:
“Our hospitals in Surrey and South London are seeing a surge in demand: our Emergency Departments are really feeling the strain, and this will only get worse as we head into winter.
“We’re here for you if you need urgent help and we’re working hard to prioritise our sickest patients.
“We’re urging people to help us by using NHS 111 online and getting their flu jab before the virus starts to spike, which will pile more pressure onto our services.”
“Prioritise our sickest patients” is the part that matters if you turn up with something minor: the most seriously ill are seen first, so a less urgent case at a busy A&E can mean a long wait.
What it means for you
If you need urgent medical care but it is not a life-threatening emergency, the trust asks you to try these before coming to A&E:
- NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk, which can direct you to the right service.
- Your GP practice or a local pharmacist.
- Your flu jab, booked now rather than once the virus is circulating widely. The NHS sets out who qualifies and how to book on its flu vaccine page.
A&E is still there for emergencies. The trust’s message is that it is “here for you if you need urgent help”; the request is to keep the emergency departments clear for the people who need them most.
For other recent health news in the borough, see our report on the Royal Marsden’s new NHS cancer genomics centre in Sutton.
Have your say