PATIENTS are being asked to help cut waiting times in A&E.
The number of people attending Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital (GPOW) is increasing, but it is still exceeding waiting time targets by more than two per cent.
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG), has to aim to see 95 per cent of patients in A&E within four hours.
But so far out of the 37,901 who have visited the department since April, 97.2 per cent have been seen to within that time.
Now Mr Oltunde Ashaolu, A&E consultant at GPOW, wants patients to choose wisely in order to maintain this high performance.
He said: "People with breathing problems, suspected strokes and suspected heart attacks should immediately contact the emergency services.
"However, those with much less serious ailments should consider the alternative options available to them such as their pharmacist, walk-in centre, GP, or GP out-of-hours service, before coming to A&E.
"When this happens, pressure on the system is much less and the management of life and limb threatening conditions is vastly improved."
By April 2013, the Trust predicts the number of patients to have visited Grimsby's A&E since April 2012, will be 55,541 – an increase from 53,928 patients who attended the same department during the financial year of 2008/9. Out of them, 98.3 per cent waited less than four hours to be seen.
Mr Ashaolu does realises that there are still some patients who are waiting longer than expected and he hopes the Trust can continue improving to rectify this.
He said: "Sometimes individuals do have to spend additional time in the department for clinical reasons. Also, some patients will take priority over others if their lives are under threat.
"Whatever the reason for a patient's attendance at A&E, the staff at Grimsby hospital remain dedicated to their swift assessment, treatment and care."
Patients have recently praised Grimsby Hospital's A&E in a patient survey, commissioned by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Mr Ashaolu, said: "The recent A&E patient survey published by the CQC showed that this Trust performed well, being judged either the same as, or better than, other NHS hospitals Trusts in all categories."
