When is a health emergency not a health emergency? That’s the question which NHS England is trying to make us all think about this winter. They’ve issued a short film which is designed to highlight the various treatment pathways available including visiting your local pharmacist, re-ordering prescriptions via the NHS App, sending online messages to GP services, or calling 111.

The underlying message is that whilst there are some conditions which will still need a 999 call or urgent visit to A&E, there are also a range of more common conditions which can be treated elsewhere. In particular, NHS England wants to draw attention to some of the more than two hundred thousand visits to A&E last winter which could have been avoided had other avenues been considered. These included 384 visits for hiccups, 83,705 visits for earache, and over ninety-five thousand visits for sore throats.

Now it is true that some of these conditions could have underlying factors which point to a more serious health issue. However, by skipping the interim steps and going straight to A&E patients may not only have to sit for hours in crowded waiting rooms as they look for treatment which they could have received quicker elsewhere, they also prevent or delay treatment for those with more serious conditions.

Commenting on the campaign GP Dr Ellie Cannon said “Every winter, NHS services face a surge in demand, and this year is no different. Knowing where to get the care you need can make all the difference.”

There is also another reason why the NHS has launched its campaign at this time. This flu season is proving to have hit harder than in recent years. With no signs of the current wave of flu abating, figures released on 4th December reveal that on average 1,717 patients were hospitalised in the previous week due to flu. That’s more than 50% up on the same time the previous year and more than ten times higher than in 2023. This despite the fact that nearly seventeen million individuals have taken up the flu jab, up 350,000 on the previous year.

As National Medical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, Prof Julian Redhead said: “Today’s numbers confirm our deepest concerns: the health service is bracing for an unprecedented flu wave this winter. Cases are incredibly high for this time of year and there is no peak in sight yet.”

Despite all of the patient pathway options there are going to be times when an individual just wants to pick up the phone to their health provider, perhaps to book an appointment or to ask a simple question. There may well be times when that health practice is, for one reason or another, unable to answer the phone in as speedy a manner as they would like. That’s where a service such as that provided by Clinic Appointments comes into play. Answering the phone in the name of the relevant health practice, our trained receptionists can book appointments, answer pre-agreed queries or take messages. Calls are recorded and with over 97% of calls being answered in three rings patients can receive a swift and reassuring response; starting them on the pathway towards treatment for their health conditions.