A hospital in Swansea has issued a warning about waiting times at its A&E department unless they have a "serious or life-threatening illness or condition". Swansea Bay University Health Board described Morriston Hospital emergency department as "exceptionally busy" and warned of very long waiting times.
The warning has come at a busy time for the NHS in general, with many services under intense pressure due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which you can read more about here. Staff at Morriston Hospital are urging people to use other alternatives such as calling 111, trying the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker or visiting a local pharmacy.
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The Minor Injury Unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital can also treat many minor injuries but cannot treat illnesses and opening times are between 7:30am-11pm, seven days a week. The minor injuries unit can treat adults and children over the age of one for a range of injuries including:
• cuts and minor burns
• sprains and strains
• broken bones
• dislocation of the shoulder, fingers and toes
• head and facial injuries with no loss of consciousness and the patient is not taking anticoagulant (blood thinner) medication.
• neck injuries, where you are mobile with no pins and needles in your arms
• back injuries where you are mobile and the pain has not occurred from you twisting your back or lifting something
• foreign bodies to eyes, ears and nose
• non-penetrating eye and ear injuries
• rib injuries where you are not coughing up blood and you don’t have a chest infection
• bites (insect, animal or human)
• insect stings
• assaults.
For more information on urgent care, visit the NHS Wales website. To get stories from Swansea straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter here.
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