Does the doctor really need to see you now?

Alarming new research reveals that more people than ever are going to hospital or their family doctor for health hiccups they could treat themselves

- BY CATHERINE FOREST

Would you go to accident and emergency for a minor problem such as travel sickness, acne or conjunctivitis? As crazy as it sounds, thousands of people are doing just that, new research reveals.

Despite intense pressure on the NHS, the latest Self-Care Census - the annual survey of consumer attitudes to minor health conditions by the consumer healthcare association PAGB - shows that one in 10 would seek hospital treatment for a minor health complaint.

And what's even worse is that number is an increase from a year ago - when one in 12 admitted their go-to for treatment was a hospital A&E.

The census shows that easy-to-treat issues most likely to prompt a visit to A&E are muscle sprains and strains (6%), issues around the contraceptive pill (6%) and ear infections (5%). Other ailments in the top 10 are allergies such as hayfever, acne, travel sickness, urinary tract infections, haemorrhoids, conjunctivitis and ulcers.

Pharmacist Mark Burdon, an adviser to the PAGB, says: "There will always be grey areas, such as differentiating between a severe muscle sprain and a broken bone. But it's worrying that so many people still see A&E as their first option for issues that could be treated more quickly and conveniently with over-the-counter products.

"A pharmacy should always be your starting point for minor ailments - we have the expertise and time to advise on the most suitable treatments.

"If it is something more serious, which requires a GP appointment, we can refer you back to one, so reception knows you need more than self-care."

And the potential savings for the NHS are enormous. A report by Frontier Economics estimates that every year at least 25 million GP appointments and five million A&E visits are used for self-treatable illnesses at a cost of £1.7billion to the NHS.