Following on from our series of articles on ‘helping the NHS to help us’, our Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence team are promoting the message to ‘choose well’ to aid the strain on NHS services.

You may have noticed that there is an ongoing drive by the NHS to try and get people to use different resources.  The current TV advertisement by the NHS is asking us all to think about our symptoms and consider going to our local pharmacy before going to the GP surgery or Accident and Emergency Department.

There are, of course, times when you need to seek emergency medical assistance/assistance from your GP, but it is not surprising that this advice is being given.

A study conducted in the North of England showed that one in four people who step into an Accident and Emergency Department could care for themselves or use alternative treatment. This is contributed to by the ever-increasing burden faced by our GP surgeries, which often means that appointments are not available when they are required.

Next time you need medical attention consider whether you really need to go to your GP surgery/Accident and Emergency Department.  And also consider the following*:

• The cost of calling an ambulance = £247
• Stepping into A & E =£124
• Stepping into a GP surgery = £32
• A call to NHS 111 = £16
• A click on NHS choices website = £0.46

In the words of the recent advertisement “choose well!”.

* figures from www.chooosewell.org.uk