Ten reasons NOT to visit your busy A&E
SHORT-STAFFED A&E departments are overwhelmed by demand - we can help by not going with these common problems
I AM starting to think that the only fully staffed casualty is the one you might watch on telly on Saturday evenings.
Things are so bad at Grantham that their A&E might have to shut at night because of a lack of doctors.
So what do you do if you’re faced with a Closed sign at your local casualty unit?
Here are ten common problems you might take to A&E – but really don’t need to.
- Toothache. If you’re suffering the agony of toothache, you’re entitled to seek help. But A&E isn’t the place to find it. Not even at 2am. Doctors aren’t trained to deal with dental problems. Dentists are. So your first port of call should be your dentist. No joy? Phone 111, which will point you in the direction of emergency dental care.
- Drug and alcohol related problems. Decided you need help to kick your bad habits? Well done. Don’t join the casualty queue, though. Instead, check out your local community drug and alcohol service via NHS Choices — and give them a call.
- Anxiety and depression. True, if you’re feeling suicidal, casualty is the place to be — you’ll get help from the on-call mental health team. But for less urgent problems you should contact your GP and some areas have open access to counselling and other psychological treatments. Again, take a look at .
- Blood pressure worries. Reckon it’s time to get your blood pressure checked? Fine, but that’s almost never an emergency, especially if you’re feeling OK in yourself. Your practice nurse can oblige and so can your pharmacy if you’re having trouble getting past the receptionist.
- Back strain. You twisted, you howled, you’re stuck. Even though the pain’s bad, you really don’t need medical help at all. Because there’s no magic bullet for a pulled back. Use heat and painkillers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol or co-codamol. And try to keep moving — it’ll ease up in time.
- Minor ailments. Thrush? Indigestion? Conjunctivitis? You can get your hands on all sorts of effective treatments over the counter these days, without the need for a prescription. So have a word with your friendly pharmacist.
- Sexually transmitted disease (STD). Think that fling might have left you with something to remember it by? Maybe you’ve got symptoms such as ulcers or discharge down below, or burning when you pee. If you reckon you’re at risk of an STD, head for your nearest clinic, details will be on NHS Choices.
- Minor childhood problems. It’s understandable you’ll fret about junior’s fever, cough or tummy upset. But it isn’t an accident or an emergency, unless your child’s really ill. So you’re unlikely to need the Accident and Emergency department. Instead, if you’re concerned, call your GP or 111.
- Minor injuries. Fair enough if you’ve broken your leg, that’s a casualty job. But minor sprains, knocks and cuts can be dealt with in Minor Injury Clinics or Walk-In Centres. You can find the nearest on NHS Choices — that should be saved in your bookmarks by now.
- Medication supplies. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve run out of your inhalers, statins, antidepressants or whatever. Casualty doesn’t normally dish out emergency stocks of treatment. Instead, contact your GP or pharmacist, even if it means waiting until it’s normal hours. And plan ahead next time to avoid a crisis.
All sorted? Excellent. At this rate, you’ll soon be qualified. In which case, I know where there are one or two jobs going . . .
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My legs feel like a huge weight
Q: FOR the past two years, my legs below the knees have felt like lumps of lead.
It kills me when I walk to town and climb stairs.
A vascular surgeon said my circulation was fine.
Can you help me out?
TW, by email
A: Given that your circulation is OK, there must be some other cause for your symptoms.
My guess is it’s to do with your spinal cord or the nerves to your legs.
As you get older, wear and tear of the spine can press on your spinal cord or on the blood vessels which supply it and the nerves which lead away from it.
The medical name for this is spinal stenosis.
The result is pain, numbness, pins and needles or heaviness in your legs which will come on when you exert yourself.
Sitting or squatting may ease the symptoms.
Your GP may refer you to a bone and joint specialist – an orthopaedic surgeon – to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment is usually with painkillers or special injections – although in severe cases an operation might help.
Q: I THINK I have Peyronie’s disease.
It’s causing a terrible bend.
Is there anything that I can do about it?
Robert, by email
A: Peyronie’s is a disease of the penis which makes it bend when it’s erect.
It’s probably caused by scarring in the penis, possibly from a previous injury.
The scarred area can feel thickened and tender.
Usually, the soreness wears off after a few months and the bend may improve, too, given time.
There’s no magic cure for this condition – but if the bend persists and causes problems with your sex life, an operation may help straighten it out.
Q: I SUFFERED Bell’s palsy five years ago and still have a slight problem with face sagging.
I’ve heard there are treatments available.
Is this true?
Jonny, by email
A: Bell’s palsy is a paralysis of one side of the face, probably caused by a virus.
It makes your face look very lopsided and is sometimes mistaken for a stroke.
It’s treated with steroid tablets and most people recover completely within nine or ten months.
If you’re still in trouble, there are various options open to you, including physiotherapy, plastic surgery or even Botox injections.
Have a word with your doctor about possibly being referred to a specialist for further help.
Dr Hopcroft cannot be held liable for advice given here as answers to readers’ queries can only be given in general terms.
If you are seriously worried about your health, please book an appointment with your own GP.