Pressure increases on Truro's Emergency Department as people are urged to use other services

The Royal Cornwall Hospital is urging people to use alternative services as it admits it is under "considerable pressure".

The plea comes just three days after the Emergency Department in Truro announced it would be re-directing all minor injuries to other services during the New Year period.

A spokesperson for the hospital said it was due to the "significant pressure" the service is under.

Credit: ITV West Country

The trust which runs the hospital said: "We really do need our local population to use alternative services including self care (particularly for colds, flu-like symptoms and diarrhoea and sickness), pharmacies, GPs, minor injury units and calling 111, so that our hospital staff can concentrate on those who really need their specialist care."

They continued:

Credit: ITV West Country

Anyone who arrives at Truro's Emergency Department with minor injuries or ailments will not be seen and will be redirected to other services.

The NHS Trust has stressed that people should go directly to these services to save any extra time or resources being used. They said: "It will help us significantly if people go to those other services first."

Read more about where to go for which conditions here.