ED Requests Non-Urgent Cases To See Their Gp First

ED Requests Non-Urgent Cases To See Their Gp First

Christchurch hospital’s Emergency Department has made another plea for non-urgent cases to see their GP first before coming to hospital.

The CDHB’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Nigel Millar said the weekend had been ‘absolutely full’ and it was packed again by 10am today.

This is the second request in the last month from the Emergency Department.

The main reason for the overload, said Dr Millar, was both community flu and other ailments, and staff sickness.

‘We are making an all out effort to ask the public to see their GP first rather than come straight to hospital unless the situation is urgent,’ Dr Millar said.

Dr Millar said non-urgent patients who came to the Emergency Department would have a long wait. It was better for them to see their doctor or go to the nearest 24 hour emergency service first.

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