A HARD-hitting campaign has been launched to try and ease the pressures on accident and emergency units.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is urging people to consider their urgent care options before heading to their nearest A&E department.

Under the banner of – #WhatWouldYouDo? – the campaign calls on people to choose the most appropriate service not the most convenient through a series of videos, which highlight the local misconceptions of what A&E is suitable for and what ailments can be better treated elsewhere.

It encourages people to consider using services such as Redcar Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit and STAR extended hours GP centres before heading to A&E.

The move comes as A&E departments around the country struggle to cope with increased workloads, particularly over the winter period, which has seen waiting times continually exceeding national guidelines.

Dan Bearn, A&E Consultant at James Cook University Hospital, said: “Patients in the waiting room don’t see the lifesaving interventions that are going on behind the scenes, and the traumatic things the patients, the relatives and the staff are having to deal with.

“If you do attend A&E with a relatively minor complaint please be prepared to wait.”

Garry Whittle, A&E Charge Nurse, added: “Sometimes people come in with a common cold, or a splinter and you know there are patients in resus fighting for their lives and you think really You’ve come to A&E?”

The campaign highlights the alternative services available to people to encourage them to avoid unnecessary trips to already busy hospital waiting rooms.

The three options available includes calling the NHS 111 where people can access free advice 24 hours a day.

Residents in the the Redcar and Cleveland area will also be able to access the Minor Injuries Unit, based at Redcar Primary Care Hospital, which is open seven days a week, between 8am and 9.30pm. There is no appointment needed and there is also a X-ray facility for patients aged three and over.

Alternatively, people can also use STAR GPs across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland, which offers after-hours appointments between 6.30pm – 9.30pm Monday to Friday and access to a GP between 8am – 9.30pm at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Emergency Department Service Manager Julie Suckling added: “We are urging people to choose the most appropriate service, not the most convenient.”

The campaign videos and more information about local NHS services can be viewed at www.southtees.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/winter-pressures/think-beyond-emergency-waiting-room/ or on the Trust’s Facebook and Twitter pages.