Portsmouth residents urged not to use NHS emergency departments unless life-threatening

The city’s hospital is urging people to take care and choose the right service this half term after high pressures at Portsmouth’s Emergency Department over the last few weeks. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Hospitals are urging people to take care and choose the right service this half term after high pressures on emergency departments over the last few weeks.

Portsmouth's hospital is calling on the community to help reduce the strain on its services ahead of what it expects will be a difficult winter for the NHS.

The number of people attending the Emergency Department (ED) at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham is more than 10% higher compared to the same period last year.

The last week has seen a total of 2,488 people attend ED, 850 of whom were admitted to hospital.

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Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) is calling on the public to only attend its Emergency Department for life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

Liz Rix, Chief Nurse at PHU, said: “We are seeing high numbers of people attending the ED in the lead-up to what we know is going to be a challenging winter for our hospital.

"We need your help with two things, please keep the ED free for those who really need it and if you have a loved one with us in hospital, please help us to get them home as soon as possible.

"Our teams continue to focus on ensuring there are beds available for our most seriously ill patients and support timely and safe discharge for patients who are ready to go home following treatment. “We ask that families and loved ones support us with this and collect patients as soon as they are ready to be discharged. We thank the community at this time for their support.”