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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

Rise in A&E visits for hiccups and earaches add to strain on NHS

An ambulance parked under an emergency department sign
There were 8.6m attendances at A&E in 2022-23 that resulted in the patient being discharged with written advice. Photograph: Ollie Millington/Getty Images

The NHS in England is facing mounting pressure amid a surge in patients attending A&E departments with minor ailments, health bosses have said.

Emergency departments, which are designed for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies only, are seeing an increase in people attending with sore throats, insomnia, coughs and earache.

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