According to survey findings from Healthwatch England, 18% of people admit to having knowingly used A&E for a non-emergency at some point in their lives.
One-in-four respondents said it was ‘likely’ that they would resort to using A&E in the future if they were unable to get a GP appointment in a reasonable timeframe, with one-in-three stating that they would do so if the non-emergency situation occurred outside of GP opening hours.
Despite two-thirds of respondents expressing concern about the NHS’s ability to cope with the pressure on urgent and emergency care, the research suggests that many of us will continue to use services how we want, when we want, until real alternatives are provided.
The survey results also identified an issue surrounding awareness of the alternatives. Around one-third of respondents said that they did not know where their nearest minor injuries unit or NHS walk-in centre was, or knew about the services that these facilities can provide. While four out of five people said they were aware of NHS 111 only one-in-five report having used it, or its predecessor NHS Direct, when in need of non-urgent care.
