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15% of A&E admissions 'could be seen by GP'

Approximately 15% of people who attend A&E could be dealt with by a GP, new research from the College of Emergency Medicine has found.

One in seven people could be treated in the community rather than as an emergency case in hospital.

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Children with minor illnesses presenting at A&E

Many of the 2.1 million patients who present to A&E with minor illnesses that could be treated by their GPs are young children, new research from the College of Emergency Medicine reveals.

Read: 15% of A&E admissions 'could be seen by GP'

Dr Clifford Mann, president of the College of Emergency Medicine said the research shows the need for "de-congesting" of emergency departments, but stressed the fact that the majority of people attending A&E need to be there:

The fact that only 15% of attendees at emergency departments could be safely redirected to a primary care clinician without the need for emergency department assessment is a statistic that must be heeded by those who wish to reconfigure services.

Providing a more appropriate resource for the 2.1 million patients represented by this figure would substantially de-congest emergency departments.

De-congesting emergency departments is key to relieving the unprecedented levels of pressure placed upon them and improving patient care.

More: GPs vote on charging patients for appointments

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