Northampton General Hospital urges people not to avoid A&E after sharp drop in attendances

Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has urged people not to avoid A&E during the coronavirus pandemic as figures show a sharp drop in attendances.

Almost a third fewer people went to the emergency department at NGH in March compared to the same month last year, according to NHS England stats.

An NGH spokesperson said: "We understand that in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic people were concerned about being a burden on the NHS and were also complying with guidance in relation to self-isolation.

"However, we want to reassure our local community that we are still here for patients who need urgent and emergency services for stroke, heart attack and other killer conditions."

Last month 8,220 people attended A&E in Northampton, a 31 per cent decrease on March 2019 when there were 11,992 attendances - the average in England is 29 per cent.

NGH said it has worked hard to put in place measures that will allow people to access care safely.

A new patient testing scheme to find those who have Covid-19 and ensure they are cared for appropriately and without risk to other patients.

"If you or your loved one has the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, are a parent worried about their child or have concerns about conditions such as cancer, you should seek help in the way you always would," the spokesperson said.

"Ignoring problems can have serious consequences, now or in the future."

In a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock expressed alarm at the decline in people going to A&Es.

“If you are worried about chest pains, for instance, maybe you might be having a heart attack or a stroke, or you feel a lump and you are worried about cancer, or you are a parent concerned about your child, please come forward and seek help as you always would," he said.

This week NHS England has begun a new public information campaign to persuade people to use the health service when they need it.

Seeking medical help is one of the four reasons that people are allowed to leave home, in line with government guidance.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “There is no doubt that, as the chief medical officer said, coronavirus is putting more pressure on NHS services.

"But NHS staff are freeing up thousands more beds for critical care whilst also keeping other essential services running, so parents, relatives and anyone worried about their own health should continue to use their NHS.”

Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, warned that delaying treatment in an emergency could leave people with far more serious health problems.

“Heart attacks and strokes are medical emergencies and treating them remains a top priority for the NHS,” she said.

“Research has led to several effective treatments for heart attacks, but if you delay, you are more likely to suffer serious heart damage and more likely to need intensive care and to spend longer in hospital.”