With Birmingham Heartlands Hospital currently under extreme pressure, Hospital experts are urging locals to seek alternative options to the A&E department where possible.

A Heartlands Hospital spokesperson, said: “Our emergency departments are under extreme pressure, with increased demand. We are urging members of the public to help us by using them only for what they are intended – accidents needing urgent attention and emergencies. We get people attending with minor problems when they should be using more suitable alternatives like GP walk-in centres or contacting NHS Direct (0845 46 47) or their GP for advice. We routinely discharge away from the emergency department approximately 60-80% of those patients who attend.

“We are also experiencing severe problems with capacity in our Hospitals and are seeking the support of families and relatives of patients in order to support their discharge from Hospital. This will support ward discharge teams in speeding up the processes.”

Local walk-centres near to Heartlands include: Warren Farm Urgent Care Centre Walk in Service, Warren Farm Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, West Midlands, B44 0PU; Washwood Heath Urgent Care Centre, Washwood Heath Health Centre, Clodeshall Road, Saltley, B8 3SN and Solihull Walk in Centre, Lode Lane, Solihull, West Midlands, England, B91 2AE.