A&E 'under siege from hiccups and ingrowing toenails' - as NHS makes fresh warning to patients

Hundreds of thousands of people with issues such as blocked noses, sore throats and earache went to accident and emergency in England over the past year when they could have gone to GPs or pharmacists.

NHS England said A&E units treated more than 200,000 people who could have been dealt with elsewhere last year. Some 96,998 people with a sore throat, 8,669 with itchy skin and 384 with hiccups sought help at emergency departments in England.

A&E staff also saw almost 84,000 earaches, more than 6,000 cases of blocked noses and 3,890 cases of ingrowing toenails between November 2024 and March 2025. The health body warned A&Es are "under siege from hiccups and ingrowing toenails".

It comes as health leaders launched a campaign to highlight the range of places patients can access care, as they cautioned A&Es are "busier than ever". Health Secretary Wes Streeting said "A&Es should be accident and emergency, not anything and everything" during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

Officials have also raised concerns about increasing levels of flu and the impact of forthcoming resident doctor strikes in England. Mr Streeting said: "This winter will be one of the busiest ever for our hard-working NHS staff dealing with soaring flu cases and tough pressures across A&Es up and down the country.

"That will be made even harder by the BMA's dangerously reckless decision to strike in the run-up to Christmas, causing real anxiety for patients and their families at such an important time of the year. "We are doing all we can to make sure patients are kept safe and get the right care during this time of intense pressure.

"We can all do our bit this winter by making sure we only use A&E in for genuine accidents and emergencies." Mr Streeting has warned patients could be put at risk by the walkout, which is planned for five days from 17 December..