PEOPLE clogging up the A&E department at Great Western Hospital for unnecessary reasons will be turned away under a new campaign launched today.

Health chiefs are warning people that the department should only be used for urgent medical reasons after it was revealed that in the past six months, people suffering with minor insect bites and colds had visited the accident and emergency department.

Other unnecessary cases have included wasp stings, coughs and small cuts to fingers while washing up.

From today, patients with non-urgent conditions will be assessed upon arrival and if the assessment indicates symptoms are not appropriate for the emergency department, they will not be treated there but will be redirected to a service at a more appropriate location.

Figures show that one in four visits to emergency health services could be treated more appropriately by using another NHS service.

In a bid to reduce unnecessary visits, people are being asked to stop and think if their symptoms are accidents or emergencies.

In a joint campaign between NHS Swindon and GWH, posters will be displayed across the hospital grounds urging people not to come to A&E unless it is a genuine emergency.

Instead patients will be redirected to the local NHS Walk-In-Centre service at Carfax Street.

NHS Swindon GP and Urgent Care Lead, Philip Mayes, said: “By choosing and using the right services, patients can expect to be seen or treated more quickly.

“While keeping emergency services free for those who need emergency treatment and by choosing the right treatment location, patients can also help us to ensure that the limited NHS resources available are being spent wisely.

“The emergency department’s role is to treat people who have serious or life threatening illnesses but their teams are faced with having to deal with cases such as coughs and colds, backache, and upset stomachs on a daily basis – conditions that often could be dealt with through a trip to the high street chemist or by visiting other local services, such as the Walk-In Centre at Carfax Street Health Centre.

“We are urging patients not to use the A&E department with non-A&E conditions to free the department up to treat people who have a genuine need to access emergency services.”