West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has urged local people to use local minor injuries units or seek advice if they are suffering from a non-urgent illness during the coming weeks.

The post-Christmas period traditionally sees a huge spike in people attending the Emergency Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the increased demand leads to extra pressure on staff at the busiest time of the year.

But some patients can beat the queues and get seen quicker by attending a local minor injuries unit, visiting their GP or talking to a pharmacist to get expert advice.

And the 111 free phone service can also offer good advice for people who aren’t sure if they need urgent care.

Harriett said: “The Emergency Department is always busy and both the hard-working staff and the ambulance service see an extra peak in demand at this time of year.

“It is important to share the message that A&E is really only for people needing urgent care and people with minor illnesses and injuries can beat the queues by going to a minor injuries unit.

“If you feel that you need health advice, the best thing to do is ring 111 first and talk to an expert.

“I hope that the extra capacity added at Worcestershire Royal Hospital will deliver benefits at this time of year, but we can all do our bit by making sure that we don’t turn up at A&E unless it really is urgent.”

People can find more information on their local minor injuries units and opening hours here: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/services/item/minor-injuries-unit.