The prospect of 16 hour waiting times face patients arriving at Darlington Memorial Hospital as the department reports being "incredibly busy".
By 11.25am on Wednesday morning (April 27), the live waiting times update on County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust's website topped 16 hours. The trust warned on social media that there are long waits for all but the most seriously ill.
As part of the hospital trust's Do Your Bit campaign, people are being urged to think about other services like pharmacies, GPs and 111 first to keep A&E free for emergencies only and protect the NHS. According to the website's updates, waits at the University Hospital of Durham are much shorter - and are currently at around two hours and 30 minutes.
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Emergency Departments provide care for seriously ill or injured patients which can include conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, fits, asthma attacks, head, neck and spinal injuries, major bone injuries, road traffic accidents. For children and the elderly this can also include breathing difficulties, or any situation where you are concerned about serious illness.
The trust posted on social media: "Our Emergency Departments at University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital are incredibly busy. There's long waits for all but the most seriously ill - current waits are on our website: http://cddft.nhs.uk.
"Please visit 111 online first #DoYourBit "
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our medical teams are working extremely hard to provide patients with the best possible care, A&E is for serious accidents and life-threatening emergencies only.
“There are many other ways of getting the healthcare you need and many illnesses and injuries don’t need to be treated in a hospital. There are other options available including your local GP practices and pharmacists, or if you are unsure about which service you might need then the NHS 111 online service can offer advice in the first instance.
“There are lots of very unwell people who do need our care and treatment and we are calling on the support of our local populations across County Durham and Darlington to allow us to look after the people who need us most.
“Please use A&E wisely and think carefully before attending hospital.”
For the most up to date waiting times click here.
