A blister on a heel, an insect bite and loose teeth - 10 reasons people are visiting A&E locally as Peterborough City Hospital sees an increase in visitors

A blister on a heel, an insect bite and loose teeth are just some of the conditions that have been seen at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's emergency departments in the past month.
Peterborough City Hospital exteriors EMN-141118-141246009Peterborough City Hospital exteriors EMN-141118-141246009
Peterborough City Hospital exteriors EMN-141118-141246009

And as May Day bank holiday approaches on Monday, NHS health chiefs are reminding residents to use the right NHS service for their problem.

This could be partly responsible for an increase of 18 per cent in the number of people attending A&E at Peterborough City Hospital from December 1 2015 to March 31 compared with the same period in the previous 12 months.

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Earlier this year Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group revealed the top 10 reasons people have used A&E when they did not need to, but people are still continuing to use the service inappropriately.

The top 10 worst offending minor conditions seen A&E in the past month, which could have easily been treated elsewhere, include:

. Cotton bud stuck in ear

. Morning after pill

. Loose teeth

. Cough

. Eczema

. Toe pain

. Ring stuck on finger

. Insect bite

. Earring stuck in ear

. Blister on heel.

Dr Gary Howsam, local Peterborough GP, said, “The A&E departments in the county are likely to get busier over the Bank Holiday and there are other NHS services available that will get you seen quicker, more efficiently and, more than likely, closer to home.

“Going to A&E when you don’t need to puts the service under additional pressure, which is completely preventable by using the right service in the first place.”

NHS 111 is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and there is also a minor illness and injury unit in Thorpe Road, Peterborough.