Suffering an injury is unfortunately a fairly common occurrence for many of us, with thousands of people dying every year as a result of accidents. These injuries are often as a result of an accident at work, car crash or just a simple fall in the home.
In more normal times we would not hesitate to go to the hospital or the doctor if we suffered an injury. But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen the number of people visiting their doctors or A&E dropping dramatically, either because people didn’t want to overburden the NHS or because they were scared to set foot in a hospital or waiting room.
While lockdown has been eased many of us are still concerned about seeking out medical advice. Personal Injury legal firm First4Lawyers tells us what you should do if you are involved in an accident?
Going to A&E
The advice from the government and the NHS is that if you suffer life threatening injuries you should go to A&E. In April it was reported that doctors were alarmed by the dramatic drop in people attending A&E, even for major conditions.
The government launched a campaign to ensure those suffering from life-threatening conditions don’t delay in going to hospital and the advice still holds true.
If you have suffered a major trauma, such as a car crash or a fall from height, loss of consciousness or serious burns then you should attend A&E. Call 999 immediately if you suffer any of these injuries.
Call 111
Although you should go to hospital with life-threatening conditions you should not go with more minor injuries. Your first port of call should be to call 111 and get some advice over the phone. If the adviser thinks you need urgent medical attention then they will say, while other alternatives would be to go to a walk-in centre or make an appointment with your GP.
Call your doctor
Many doctors are offering phone or video consultations, so if your injury isn’t serious then you could just call your GP’s surgery. If you are invited in for a face-to-face consultation the NHS says that infection control measures are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
While it can be a scary thought to go into a hospital or a doctor’s surgery during the pandemic, you should not delay in getting treatment. This is especially the case if you have suffered from a potentially life-threatening accident. Even if it is less serious the advice is that you should get advice and any treatment as soon as you can and should not suffer in silence.
