People holidaying in Dorset are being encouraged to find out where they can get urgent care if they need it and make the right choice to help both themselves and local NHS organisations.
Sue Sutton, Deputy Director of Urgent Care with NHS Dorset CCG said “We often hear of emergency departments being used where treatment could have been provided elsewhere, for example ordering a repeat prescription or cleaning minor grazes. We do fully understand that any medical concern can be considered an emergency to that individual and that is why we have a number of services that can help in these less than urgent situations.
We need to be able to support our emergency departments to be able to deal effectively with those who really need life-saving treatment.
In Dorset we are seeing a high demand on our emergency departments in particular and are therefore encouraging all those attending to think if it is truly a life threatening situation and if not please consider one of the alternatives.”
Not sure what is on offer in Dorset? Download WaitLess.
WaitLess was launched during the summer of 2019 and can help people them make an informed choice about where to get treated if they need urgent care.
WaitLess is available on both Apple and Android devices and works by combining live waiting times at local urgent care services with travel times from the users’ location to give an overall time before they are likely to be seen.
For non-urgent care or advice there are other options
Visit a local pharmacy
Pharmacies can help with a range of problems and can offer confidential advice when you need it. There are over 100 pharmacies in Dorset – to find your nearest one visit
www.nhs.uk/find-a-pharmacy
NHS 111
When you call 111 you will be connected to an operator who can advise you where you can get the best treatment for your needs. They can also book you an out of hours GP appointment if appropriate.
If you or someone you are with have life threatening injuries don’t hesitate call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
For more information on local services visit www.staywelldorset.nhs.uk.
