Campaign aims to ease pressure on NHS by telling patients where to find care

An awareness campaign advising patients where to access the healthcare they need has been launched as winter NHS pressures approach.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said it is hoped the advertisement will divert people away from emergency wards where necessary.

The campaign will urge Scots to play their part in easing the pressure on the health sector by accessing care in the right place.

It will make clear that unless a condition is life-threatening, people can visit their local pharmacy, dial NHS 24 on 111, or contact their GP.

People will also be signposted to the NHS Inform website, which provides practical self-help guides.

The sector has been facing a series of pressures caused by Covid-19 pandemic backlogs, staff shortages and inflationary costs, and Mr Yousaf has warned the NHS faces its “toughest winter in history”.

Ahead of a visit to Edinburgh’s Bangholm Medical Centre, he said: “I am under no illusion that this winter will be the toughest in the history of our great NHS, which is why I am pulling every lever at my disposal to help ease pressure where possible.

“This campaign will make it easier than ever to know where to go to get the right care in the right place – saving patients time and freeing up space in our emergency departments.”

It is part of the Scottish Government’s £600 million resilience plan to support the NHS through winter.

The programme is also recruiting an extra 1,000 staff, vaccinating the public from Covid-19 and flu, and prioritising care for the most vulnerable, Mr Yousaf said.

Peju Adeyemo, physician associate at Bangholm Medical Centre, said: “Physician associates are healthcare professionals with a generalist medical education, who work alongside doctors providing medical care as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team.

“We are able to alleviate pressure on GPs because we can see a broad spectrum of patients, provide holistic care and follow-up.

“Furthermore, we are able to see more acute patients, thereby freeing up time for GPs to see more chronic conditions where 15-minute appointments may not be suitable.”

Since 2018, 3,220 whole-time equivalent healthcare professionals have been recruited into multi-disciplinary teams.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are creating a National Care Service to end the postcode lottery in the provision of care.

“We have heard repeatedly from people with direct experience of community health and social care, as well as key stakeholders, that the adult social care system needs to change in order to drive up standards to a consistent level across the country

“By rewarding and valuing the workforce to deliver the best possible service, we will make the sector fit for the future.

“The National Care Service has been developed following an independent review that recommended reform to ensure we make services better for those who need them and it is our collective responsibility to that.

“Change of this scale naturally raises concern but we have a duty to people to work it through with all partners, local government, health and social care partnerships, the unions and providers to understand their position and use it to inform design and ultimately delivery.

“We also recognise that there is an urgent need to make improvements to social care now, and we are not waiting for the NCS to start that process.

“We will ensure there is no impact on current standards of service as we establish the National Care Service.”