Choose Well campaign helps patients make right decisions on seeking care (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Choose Well campaign helps patients make right decisions on seeking care

8:58am Wednesday 25th November 2009

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Chapped lips, lost prescriptions, broken false nails and paper cuts are among the complaints patients have turned up with at accident and emergency departments across the district.

Now a new campaign is being launched to stop people clogging up A&E, wasting NHS money and putting lives at risk by diverting medical staff from real emergencies.

The Choose Well campaign has been started by the district’s NHS organisations to help patients get the right care faster and reduce needless trips to busy A&E departments, especially during the winter months when they are over-stretched.

Dr Peter Dickson, medical director at NHS Bradford and Airedale, said: “Helping people make the right choice in accessing services will not only benefit patients themselves but also assist our doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to maintain high-quality services.”

Choose Well leaflets and bookmarks will be given out in schools, libraries, hospitals, pharmacies and GP surgeries in Bradford and Airedale to remind people of the range of health services available.

These include: self-care, looking after yourself at home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet; NHS Direct, the 24 hour helpline for any health inquiry on 0845 4647; the pharmacist for advice on common illnesses and the best medicines; GPs for illnesses that will not go away; West Yorkshire Urgent Care Services for people in urgent need of local care in West Yorkshire on 0345 605 99 99 and A&E or 999 only for those who are in need of immediate, life-saving care.

To find out more about Choosing Well go to bradfordairedale-pct.nhs.uk e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk

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