RESIDENTS with minor ailments are being urged not to go the county hospital’s A&E following an extremely busy few days.

During the last few days the emergency department at Hereford County Hospital has seen a spike in the number of patients treated and admitted with hip fractures, respiratory conditions and cardiac problems.

People with injuries and conditions which are not serious are advised to use alternatives - such as calling NHS 111, using the GP walk in centre in Hereford, the Minor Injury Units at Ross and Leominster Community Hospitals, seeing their local GP or seeking advice from their local pharmacy.

Jon Barnes, Wye Valley Trust’s chief operating officer, said: “We’re struggling to see and treat people with minor ailments in a reasonable time and would urge people to think twice and use the alternatives available.

“At this moment in time, A&E is only for people who are seriously ill and need urgent care and treatment.”

There are long delays in the A&E department at the moment.

Mr Barnes added: “Many of the patients we’re seeing are very poorly and require a longer stay in hospital than expected, but we’ve had some people turn up with non-urgent conditions which could be seen and treated using alternatives.”

The trust is working with the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the commissioners for healthcare in the county, the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, to manage the situation.