NHS North West

Choose Well – Facts and Figures 

• The number of people going to A&E has gone up by five percent in the past year – and is continuing to rise
• Over the past two years, the number of people using A&E services in North West hospitals has gone up by over 177,000
• Category A calls to 999 ambulance services went up by 25-30 per cent last winter
• One in four of every people who go to A&E could have been treated elsewhere in the community or self-treated
• Nationally the cost to the NHS of treating minor illnesses is £2 billion a year
• The growing number of people using A&E and 999 services is putting a strain on NHS teams who care for people with life-threatening and serious conditions, such as heart-attacks, strokes, breathing problems and serious accidents