Brian Whittle MSP is reminding the public that the NHS is still open and ready to help anyone in need of urgent or emergency care, not just those with coronavirus.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Health Minister Brian spoke out after reports that the numbers of people being referred to specialists for conditions such as cancer had fallen since the start of the coronavirus crisis. There are also suggestions that deaths from heart attacks and similar conditions are rising, sparking concerns that people are avoiding using the NHS in situations where they should.
As part of efforts to ensure the NHS has sufficient capacity to deal with the impact of coronavirus, non-urgent elective surgeries and some other treatments have been temporarily delayed. Emergency care, urgent treatment and maternity services are not affected but there are worries that the message isn’t getting through.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“We are all playing a role in fighting Covid-19 by helping to take pressure off the NHS. But the public should not be risking their lives by ignoring worrying symptoms or putting off scheduled vaccinations for children.
Although some elective surgeries and other treatments have been delayed temporarily, the NHS is still there for everyone who needs urgent help. Whether you’re worried about a lump, unusual bleeding or think you might be having a heart attack; take action and use the NHS. If you’d have treated a medical issue as urgent or an emergency before coronavirus, you should treat it exactly the same way now.
You can still contact your GP during their regular hours or phone NHS24 on 111 when your GP is closed and in an emergency, you should always dial 999.”
