PATIENTS who arrive at A&E could be referred to other NHS departments for treatment, it has been revealed.

The move intends to take pressure off the overstretched casualty department at Wigan Infirmary.

Figures show that up to 40 per cent of people attending A&E are doing so inappropriately and are causing a major impact on the department's emergency care.

These include people who are drunk or suffering from cold and flu.

From now on, some patients suffering minor complaints will be asked to return to their GPS or walk in centres to free up staff to deal with seriously ill patients.

But the NHS Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation trust have reassured patients that no one will be left without treatment — but in some cases it will be at a different location and time.

Dr Tim Dalton, chairman of the Group, said high standards of care would be maintained, but that the casualty department would be freed up.

Dr Dalton said: “It is well known that a significant number of patients attend A&E inappropriately —from 15 per cent to 40 per cent of attendances in various studies — which can have a major impact on consistently providing quality emergency care.

"This is why we are introducing new systems. We will monitor this scheme to make sure that it is helping to reduce pressure on A&E at the same time as maintaining high standards of care”.

Staff at the A&E department recently had to deal with 46 seriously ill patients on one night. More pressure builds on the department when patients who are drunk turn up on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Under the new scheme, if a patient turns up at A&E and staff do not think they need to be treated there, a qualified clinician will explain the reasons to them and refer them to the other services.

This could be their GP, a dentist, mental health services, drug and alcohol team, Leigh Walk in Centre or NHS 111.

Dr Umesh Prabhu, Acting Deputy Chief Executive and Medical Director at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This will be done with a degree of clinical triage in order for it to be safe for the patient at all times.

"The clinician may in some circumstances also make an appointment for the patient at another NHS body, or give them a referral card that they can present to other NHS services to aid booking of an appropriate appointment”.