Staff at St George’s are urging south west Londoners to take extra care and only attend the emergency department in genuine emergencies over the coming Easter weekend.

St George’s Hospital is experiencing a high demand on services, with many people attending the emergency department who could have been seen more quickly in other healthcare environments.

Dr Jane Evans, Divisional Chair and Consultant in Acute and Respiratory Medicine at St George’s, said: “As school holidays set in and Covid-19 becomes more prominent in the community again, we are starting to see more patients attending hospital.

“So it’s even more important to only come to hospital if you really need to particularly over the bank holiday weekend when we know hospitals across the country are busier than usual.”

“Our staff are always on hand when you need us, but unless it’s an emergency, please call NHS 111 first for advice on which part of the NHS can best support you with your care.

“Nobody wants to be waiting for hours in an emergency department. We see a lot of patients, particularly children, who could be seen much quicker through other NHS services.”

The Blue Sky Unit at St George’s offers specialist paediatric care to children who have been referred from other healthcare settings including their GP.

Dr Luci Etheridge, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Consultant Paediatrician at St George’s, said: “The Blue Sky Unit helps the hospital run more efficiently, which in turn helps our paediatric patients have a better experience.

“They get a referral appointment from their GP, meaning they avoid long waiting times in our emergency department, which has been particularly beneficial for our vulnerable paediatric patients during Covid-19 who have needed to limit their contacts.”

“Some unwell children will need to be seen in a hospital setting and it’s important that in an emergency you do attend hospital, however there are many other ways to get advice and support for your unwell child, including calling NHS 111 for advice or speaking to a pharmacist for minor injuries and conditions.”

In recent weeks, St George’s has also seen an increase in people attending the emergency department after running out of medication as well as people attending with mental health issues.

Dr Jane Evans said: “If you take regular medication and are due your next prescription, please request and collect it in advance of the bank holiday.

“This not only means you have peace of mind, but it will help ensure that out-of-hours pharmacy or GP services can be used for those requiring urgent care more quickly.”

Dr Vasa Gnanapragasam, lead GP for Merton, said: “We have extra GP services and more appointments on evenings and weekends – if you have a health concern over the bank holiday weekend, contact your GP practice or use their website to find out what your local arrangements are, or use the NHS 111 online service for health advice.”

Jacqueline Totterdell, Group Chief Executive of St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group, said: “Our teams have worked incredibly hard over the last two years and they continue to do so to care for our local communities.”