While most hospitals are battling with winter pressures, patients seeking care in A&E for minor conditions remains a concern.
Their numbers have risen sharply since 2020, with nearly two million patients approaching emergency services for headaches in the past five years, while 1.4 million with a cough, and another million for earaches.
This also suggests that other NHS services, such as primary and community services, have failed to cater to these patients.
Some health experts claimed these conditions may seem minor when reduced to statistics, but may be symptomatic of serious illnesses requiring emergency care.
Dr Ian Higginson, of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told The Times: “I would express caution about oversimplification: while some of these symptoms may seem minor, there will be serious illness in some of the patients described."
He felt the healthcare system was not functioning as it was designed to.
"Just like our emergency departments, our colleagues in primary and community services are at capacity when their services are open, but those services aren’t open when patients need them. The system has also become unnecessarily complex and patients struggle to figure it out,” he told the daily.
Higginson said when patients are unsure, they often turn to A&E.
The NHS had recently released a short film titled “24 Hours Not In A&E” as part of a campaign to help people navigate their health concerns and avoid unnecessary visits to A&E departments and GPs.
Health secretary Wes Streeting recently remarked that “A&Es should be accident and emergency, not anything and everything”.
Other options include Pharmacy First, which can provide patients access to quick, easy support – including prescription-only medicines – for seven common conditions, including sore throat, sinusitis, and earache.
Pharmacists will be able to provide an emergency contraceptive pill and support people who have been newly prescribed antidepressants.
Nearly all (98.7%) GP practices offer online consultation requests for patients.
The NHS also deployed over 500 new ambulances across England to replace the old ones, ensuring faster responses and strengthening frontline emergency services.
