Direct your NHS calls to most appropriate place, West Suffolk Hospital urges

Patients are being urged to make sure they direct their calls to the most appropriate place over the busy Christmas period.

The festive season is a time which puts pressure on the NHS and particularly the 999 and accident and emergency services, which experience a higher volume of calls.

Helen Beck, chief operating officer at the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Like all health and social care systems, we are pulling out all the stops to prepare for winter to ensure we protect the good standards of service that the public have come to expect.

“We’re asking people to stake simple steps to help us this winter by accessing the right NHS services, at the right time, for their needs.

“For non-urgent healthcare issues local pharmacies are also a great first point of call.

“Many are open long hours including evenings and weekends and can help deal with conditions like colds, diarrhoea, sprains and strains, or small cuts and bruises.

“The new NHS 111 Online service offers good help and advice, on top of the free 111 phone service which is available 24/7.”