GLASGOW'S health board has once again urged patients to use A&E services sensibly this winter after revealing patients had recently turned up looking for treatment for piles, athletes foot and the common cold.

A survey of adult Emergency Departments (EDs) within Greater Glasgow and Clyde reveals patients are regularly presenting with minor illness or injury.

Based on recent activity, medics identified a list of the top ten time-wasting illnesses that do not require a trip to ED.

  • Cold symptoms, Nasal congestion or a simple sore throat
  • Skin complaints such as Acne, Eczema or Athlete’s foot
  • Cold sores, Warts or verrucae
  • Period pain
  • Earache
  • Haemorrhoids (piles)
  • Hay fever or mild allergies
  • Head lice / scabies
  • Mouth ulcers/Dental pain
  • Thrush

The health board said that on November 12, 54% of children seen at A&E in the Children's Hospital were suffering from a minor complaint which could have been treated by an out-of-hours GP, pharmacist or with advice from NHS 24.

Glasgow Times:

Alastair Ireland, Emergency Department Clinical Director at Glasgow Royal Infirmary said: “We are all aware of what a precious resource our NHS is and we need to use it wisely, and that is particularly important in Winter.

“We’ve come up with a list to give patients some guidance on when it’s correct to seek emergency treatment and when it’s not. Hopefully it means that they seek advice from the correct place, meaning they are treated quicker elsewhere, allowing us to concentrate on what we should be treating – real emergencies.”