One in 10 Brits who turned up to A&E last year turned away for wasting time
Two million 'time wasters' presented themselves to hospital emergency units despite not having 'genuine life-threatening emergencies'
TWO million time-wasters were turned away from hospital A&E units last year.
One in ten patients’ cases were deemed not urgent by frontline medical teams.
NHS advice says A&E visits should take place only in “genuine life-threatening emergencies” and are not “an alternative to a GP appointment.”
NHS figures show more than four million people were discharged from A&Es in England without needing treatment in the past two years.
Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth said: “When we’ve lost 1,000 family doctors and local community chemists have been cut back, it’s no wonder desperate families feel they have no option but to turn up at A&E.”
Patients who need non-emergency medical help are advised to call 111 or visit the NHS website.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “It’s important that patients with urgent care needs get the right advice in the right place.
“NHS England is reviewing urgent and emergency care, looking at areas including better information about self-treatment, improvements to NHS 111 and faster and consistent access to primary care.”