We provide high quality healthcare services primarily to the residents of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, which have a combined population in the region of 530,000.
People who need medical attention are being reminded to think about the right service to use to help reduce the amount time they spend waiting to be seen.
Data from the last three months (August-October) highlighted that hundreds of people attended A&E at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital when alternatives would have been quicker and more appropriate for them.
Key reasons for attending the emergency department included fractures and sprains to ankles, feet and knees, which could have been more easily treated at the Minor Injuries Unit at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital or Burnley Urgent Treatment Centre.
Dr Georgina Robertson, Clinical Lead for Emergency Medicine for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It is not uncommon for us to have up to 100 people waiting for treatment within our Emergency Department and prioritising the most urgent conditions can mean extremely long waits for less serious injuries or illnesses.
We know this can be frustrating for people and while we are working really hard to see people as quickly as possible, we are also asking communities to work with us and make the right choice for their health care.
Before attending the Emergency Department, please think is this the right choice for me? There are a range of options for healthcare treatment available.”
These options include:
For more information on the best service for you, please go to our Feeling Unwell? page.