Health leaders have issued an urgent appeal for people in Bath and North East Somerset, to play their part and support their local hospitals

during what has been described as an "extraordinarily difficult" start to 2022. Cara Charles Barks, Chief Executive of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust said: "A&E departments in all of our hospitals are experiencing a significant level of demand and those who attend our emergency departments without very good reason are making it much harder for our teams to care for those patients who really do need emergency medical treatment. "If you need medical help, please remember the NHS 111 online service can give advice, including to those who think that they might need to visit a minor injury unit to treat issues such as broken bones and burns, while pharmacists can help with minor complaints including coughs, colds, ear ache and rashes. "If you can access the internet then the online option will be best suited for you by visiting www.111.nhs.uk, otherwise please call the service on 111 and a trained advisor will help you. For more routine issues such as hangovers or an upset tummy please use your local pharmacy. "Using the right service for you will mean that our A&E departments can respond rapidly for those people who need emergency treatment."