Blocked noses, sore throats and hiccups: 200,000 unnecessary A&E visits last year
Health officials say A&E departments in England treated more than 200,000 people last year who could have been dealt with elsewhere
Last updated 19 hours ago
Health officials say A&E departments in England treated more than 200,000 people last year who could have been dealt with elsewhere.
Last winter patients sought help for a variety of illness which officials say could have been handled by GPs or pharmacists, including blocked noses, sore throats and earache, NHS England said.
Emergency departments in England dealt with 8,669 cases of itchy skin, 384 people with hiccups, and 96,998 patients who sought help for a sore throat.
A&E staff also dealt with more than 6,000 cases of blocked noses, almost 84,000 earaches, and 3,890 cases of ingrowing toenails between November 2024 and March 2025.
The health body said A&Es are “under siege from hiccups and ingrowing toenails”.
It comes as health leaders launched a campaign highlighting the range of places patients can access care, warning A&Es are “busier than ever”.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that “A&Es should be accident and emergency, not anything and everything”.
Health officials have also raised concerns about increasing levels of flu and the impact of forthcoming resident doctor strikes in England.
With flu cases on the rise and ahead of the resident doctors’ strikes from 17-22 December, the NHS has today released a striking short film titled “24 Hours Not In A&E” as part of a campaign to help people navigate their health concerns and avoid unnecessary visits to A&E departments and GPs.
Mr Streeting said: “This winter will be one of the busiest ever for our hard-working NHS staff dealing with soaring flu cases and tough pressures across A&Es up and down the country.
“That will be made even harder by the BMA’s dangerously reckless decision to strike in the run-up to Christmas, causing real anxiety for patients and their families at such an important time of the year.
“We are doing all we can to make sure patients are kept safe and get the right care during this time of intense pressure.
“We can all do our bit this winter by making sure we only use A&E in for genuine accidents and emergencies.”
Mr Streeting has warned that patients could be put at risk by the walkout planned for five days from December 17.
Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national director of urgent and emergency care, said: “The last place a patient wants to be when they have a minor illness is in a busy A&E, so this winter NHS staff are working hard to expand the number of routes into the NHS so patients can get fast and convenient care closer to them.
“Whether the services are online, over the phone or in-person, a variety of doorways to care are open across the NHS.
“The current flu wave and strikes will increase the chances of hospitals getting much busier this winter – and it’s more important than ever that patients are getting the care they need in the most appropriate place.”