A&E warning at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children
Parents are being urged to consider alternatives as it's currently dealing with a record number of cases - with 306 on November 14 alone.
Last updated 24th Nov 2022
Staff at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children are asking parents to consider alternatives before bringing their child to A&E.
The hospital is currently dealing with a record number of cases - with 306 on November 14 alone.
Figures have shown a spike in hospital attendance, with a high proportion of those seen being children with non-urgent issues.
On average, 252 children attended the A&E department each day last week, and although November to January is traditionally a busy period for the NHS, this was 25% higher than this year's average.
NHS Bosses urge parents to avoid unless it's "life threatening"
Scott Davidson, deputy medical director for acute services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), said: "Our staff are working around the clock to ensure the best level of care for our patients.
"Parents and children have access to a range of alternative services that can help reduce the waiting times for the sickest of patients and free up capacity."
The health board is encouraging parents to ensure their child's visit is essential and consider if an alternative means of care would be more appropriate than A&E.
Jamie Redfern, director of women and children's services at NHSGGC, said: "A record number of 306 children presented at the RHC on Monday November 14, which highlights the pressures the A&E department is facing.
"The figures show an increase in recent weeks and to try and accommodate this, we would ask parents to think if a visit to A&E is required or if the issue can be resolved in another way.
"Unless it is an emergency or life-threatening, there are a number of alternative services that should be accessed first, including contacting your local pharmacy, GP, NHS24, NHS information or 111 before presenting at an emergency department.
"We also have access to emergency care consultations from the comfort of home through our virtual A&E service, where parents can be given appointments for their children at our minor injuries units. This assists in reducing waiting times and queues at physical A&E.
"This not only benefits our staff and patients at the hospital, but it can significantly reduce the waiting time for a child to be assessed."
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane accused Health Secretary Humza Yousaf of failing to "get a grip" of issues in the health service.
He said: "It is scarcely believable that we have now reached a stage on Humza Yousaf's watch that kids are being asked to stay away from A&E in Glasgow.
"This highlights Humza Yousaf's total failure to get a grip of the bottlenecks throughout our NHS which are causing danger to both suffering patients and frontline staff.
"Patients are being told not to turn up to A&E so the pressure gets put on GPs like myself, who have just seen our primary care budgets slashed by the SNP.
"It should never have reached a point where the country's largest health board has had to relay this message to parents, who will potentially be thinking twice about putting added pressure on Glasgow's children's hospital.
"Now we might see kids suffering in Glasgow because they cannot access A&E services in the city. Nicola Sturgeon must sack Humza Yousaf without further delay."
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