Busy A&E are seeing increasing numbers of patients seeking emergency help for hiccups, nasal congestion and headaches, an audit has found.
Analysis of NHS data shows increasing attendance for minor ailments such as coughs, malaise and insomnia, putting unnecessary pressure on overstretched services.
According to estimates, up to two-fifths of attendances are avoidable or could be better treated elsewhere.
But long waiting times and difficulties getting GP appointments are exacerbating the problem, with health officials urging the public to “play their part” by reserving A&E for genuine emergencies.
In total, last year there were 24,664,177 unplanned visits to emergency departments across the country, where the causes were recorded.
This includes more than a quarter of a million (257,915) for ear pain, up ten percent from the previous year.
Cases in which headache was the main complaint increased 12 percent over the previous 12-month period, from 379,127 cases to 423,297, while back pain increased 13 percent, from 324,443 to 365,327.
Complaints of cough and attendees of insomnia increased by 15 percent, from 322,500 to 369,264 and 1,343 and 1,544 respectively.
Increasing numbers of patients are coming to A&E with hiccups, nasal congestion and headaches, audit finds (file photo)
Cough complaints increased by 15 percent, while there were 963 cases of hiccups (file photo)
Surprisingly, there were 963 cases of hiccups, 18 percent more than the previous year.
Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said it was “a symptom of problems permeating the entire health system”.
He urged ministers to break “the viscous cycle” and “deliver on their promise to fix the health system”.
He said: ‘Like our routinely overcrowded emergency departments, primary and community services are hugely overstretched.
‘So it’s no surprise that people turn to A&E for minor problems.
“However, this in turn places additional demand on emergency care teams who are already dealing with the additional pressures that come with winter, combined with an under-resourced social care system that means discharges are delayed. “.
Last year, some 61,936 nosebleeds were treated in the emergency department, an increase of 10 percent compared to the previous year, while the number of cases of constipation and diarrhea also increased.
Cases in which headache was the main complaint increased 12 percent over the previous 12-month period, from 379,127 cases to 423,297 (file photo)
Meanwhile, 351,785 A&E visits last year were attributed to vomiting, while 18,126 visits were due to nausea.
And 324,550 attendances were due to a sore throat.
There was an 11 per cent increase in the number of cases of nasal congestion, from 16,115 in 2022/23 to 17,827 in 2023/24.
In total, almost 8.6 million A&E visits in 2023/24 resulted in the patient being discharged with written advice.
The figures come as the NHS prepares for what is expected to be a challenging winter as infections rise and temperatures fall, which can exacerbate a number of pre-existing medical conditions.
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “The pressure on urgent and emergency care services, including A&E departments, is likely to intensify in winter, which is often the toughest and busiest time of year for the NHS.
“But the consortia are still working hard to see patients as quickly as possible.”
Patients are encouraged to seek help from a pharmacist for seven common conditions without needing to see a GP, as part of the Pharmacy First scheme launched by the Conservatives last winter.
These conditions include sinusitis, sore throat, ear pain, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women under 65 years of age.
Professor Julian Redhead, national clinical director for urgent and emergency care for NHS England, said the public must play their part.
He said: “We are seeing record levels of demand in our A&E and although hospitals are already working close to capacity as we head into winter, it is important that the public play their part by following NHS advice: use emergency services only in case of serious injuries.” or life-threatening emergencies.
‘NHS 111 online and the NHS website can give you advice on how to treat yourself at home or direct you to the most appropriate NHS service for headaches and sore throats, while calling NHS 111 should be your first port of call for any other urgent condition, which could mean you are seen faster and in the right place, while allowing our emergency care staff to support those who need it most.