Health Minister urges people to consider other options before A&E
Health Minister Vaughan Gething is urging patients to choose the right option for non-emergency treatment instead of automatically heading to A&E.
The winter Choose Well campaign encourages people to consider other options first, like seeing a pharmacist or phoning NHS Direct Wales, for non-life-threatening symptoms.
Mr Gething AM said "evidence suggests around one in five people who go to their local emergency department don't need to be there."
The campaign aims to ease the extra pressure on A&Es and ambulance services throughout winter.
Two health boards have already had to postpone operations this week due to extra pressure on their emergency care services.
On Wednesday Vaughan Gething said he was "deeply sorry" that some operations had been cancelled.
The Welsh Government are asking people to consider Minor Injury Units and the "My A&E Live" website as alternatives to A&E visits. They say this will help people "get urgent advice and assurance more quickly."
The A&E Live website gives real time updates on average waiting times at A&Es and Minor Injury Units.
Welsh Government are also providing an additional £30m for health services this winter to deal with the increased pressures.
Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething said: "Emergency departments and ambulance services have had their busiest year ever so far...It is vital that we all make sure we choose the right health services for symptoms that are not life threatening."
Hywel Dda and Betsi Cadwaladr health boards both cancelled operations this week due to "critical" winter pressures.
Routine operations at seven hospitals were affected. Planned operations at hospitals under the Hywel Dda health board were cancelled for a third day in a row on Wednesday.
Reacting to this, the Health Minister said "I'm deeply sorry that anyone has had planned care that has not taken place when it was due to because that is a level of anxiety for most people".
But Mr Gething AM said the decision to postpone planned operations had been done in order to "prioritise our sickest patients first".
He would not say when planned operations would return to normal.
You can check A&E average waiting times and access an online symptom checker here: http://www.choosewellwales.org.uk/aewaits