Hundreds of thousands of patients attended A&E last winter for everyday niggles such as hiccups and ingrowing toenails, new NHS figures show. More than 200,000 attendances were for conditions that could have been treated elsewhere, including 96,998 for sore throat and 83,705 for earache.
To ease pressure, the NHS is widening access to care and has launched a campaign to raise awareness of alternative routes. The move comes as flu cases rise and resident doctors plan strikes from 17–22 December, a period NHS England’s CEO Sir Jim Mackey has warned is particularly risky for hospitals.
Pharmacy First now offers quick support — including some prescription-only medicines — for seven common conditions such as sore throat, sinusitis and earache. For the first time during winter, pharmacists can provide an emergency contraceptive pill and offer help to people newly prescribed antidepressants.
Almost all GP practices (98.7%) now accept online consultation requests, with around 8 million patients using the service in October. The NHS has also released a short film, “24 Hours Not In A&E,” aimed at helping people choose the right service and avoid unnecessary A&E visits.
New urgent treatment centres have opened recently in places including Plymouth, Lymington and Yeovil. These centres can investigate, diagnose and treat many injuries and illnesses commonly seen in A&E. They are open at least 12 hours a day and accept both walk-ins and appointments booked via NHS 111. The NHS App also lets patients request appointments, view records, get reminders and order repeat prescriptions.
A&Es are busier heading into winter: attendances in October were 37,000 higher than the same month last year. Julian Redhead, NHS National Director of Urgent and Emergency Care, said the last place for a minor illness is a busy A&E and urged people to use the range of available services. He reiterated that A&E and 999 should be reserved for life-threatening conditions and serious injuries, while NHS 111 (phone or online) can direct people to the most appropriate care — for example, a pharmacy, a walk-in centre or clinical self-help advice.
The data show 200,028 A&E attendances in England from 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025 for the following conditions:
– Nasal congestion: 6,382
– Earache: 83,705
– Sore throat: 96,998
– Ingrowing nails: 3,890
– Itching skin: 8,669
– Hiccups: 384
Comparisons with summer 2024 reveal increases: blocked nose attendances rose nearly a third (4,943 to 6,382), sore throat cases increased 12% (86,343 to 96,998) and earache attendances rose 11% (75,152 to 83,705).
So far this autumn the NHS has delivered 16,334,878 flu vaccines — more than 450,000 more than at the same point last year (15,881,979 w/e 18 November 2024) — to reduce serious illness and hospital admissions.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting warned this winter will be one of the busiest for the NHS with soaring flu cases and pressure across A&Es, and criticised the BMA’s decision to strike near Christmas. He said efforts are underway to keep patients safe and urged the public to reserve A&E for genuine emergencies.
GP Dr Ellie Cannon, who appears in the NHS video, said knowing where to seek care can make a big difference. Rather than defaulting to early GP appointment queues or A&E, she encouraged using community pharmacies for minor illnesses, NHS 111 for urgent needs, and online services like the NHS App or GP practice websites for quicker, more convenient care.
