Medics have raised concerns over additional pressures in the NHS over the extended bank holiday weekend. Extra strain could lead to longer ambulance waits and long stays in emergency departments, the Society for Acute Medicine said.
Many GP surgeries will be closed for four days over the long weekend and some pharmacies could be shut. Meanwhile an ambulance service has already urged people use services “wisely” over the weekend.
NHS leaders have advised people to use the NHS 111 online service which can signpost them to where their needs can be addressed. Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “There is certainly concern going into the extended bank holiday period but that is largely because pressures are – and have been for some time – at unsustainable levels, so there is no give in the system.
