Wye Valley NHS Trust is suggesting that local residents should use the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Ross-on-Wye Community Hospital or face very long waits at County hospital, Hereford. The County Hospital’s Emergency Department has been experiencing an extremely busy few days.

The advice from hospital bosses is to use alternatives - such as telephoning NHS 111, using the GP walk in centre in Hereford, the MIU at Ross and Leominster Community Hospitals, seeing their local GP or seeking advice from their local pharmacy - if their condition or injury is not serious.

“Many of the patients we’re seeing are very poorly and require a longer stay in hospital than expected, but we’ve had some people turn up with non-urgent conditions which could be seen and treated using alternatives,” said Jon Barnes, the Trust’s chief operating officer.

During the last few days the Emergency Department has seen a spike in the number of patients treated and admitted with hip fractures, respiratory conditions and cardiac problems.

“We’re struggling to see and treat people with minor ailments in a reasonable time and would urge people to think twice and use the alternatives available.

“At this moment in time, A&E is only for people who are seriously ill and need urgent care and treatment,” added Jon, who said they were also having many more older people turning up in A&E who had more complex needs and who had to be admitted for treatment.

The Trust is working with the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the commissioners for healthcare in the county, the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, to manage the situation.