PATIENTS with minor ailments are being urged not to visit A&E in Redditch because the hospital is under "extreme pressure."

The Alexandra Hospital in Woodrow Drive is currently experiencing large numbers of patients attending the hospital.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Alex Hospital, and the Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group said that The Alexandra Hospital in Woodrow Drive, along with rest of Worcestershire’s A&E departments, are urging patients to only use A&E where it is unavoidable.

Mari Gay, interim chief officer for the Worcestershire CCGs, said that unnecessary trips could "compromise care" for those needing urgent accident and emergency treatment and "strain" NHS resources.

She added: "Our A&E departments are currently extremely busy.

"Many minor health problems and complaints such as muscular, minor sports injuries can be solved with self-care.

Patients with a wide range of minor injuries which do not require a visit to A&E (such as cuts, wounds, sprains, strains and minor burns) can also be treated at Minor Injury Units at Bromsgrove, Evesham, Kidderminster, Malvern and Tenbury.

To find out the opening hours of your local minor injury unit visit: hacw.nhs.uk/our-services/minor-injuries-units.

Doctors are also reminding patients that A&E is for emergency and life-threatening conditions only and that many minor complaints such as coughs and colds can be treated at home.

Recently it was revealed that beds at Worcestershire's community hospitals are facing a 44 per cent cut.

It means the total number of beds, including the three main sites and five community hospitals, will fall by 145, from 1,067 to 922.

The reduction is part of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), an 83-page document produced under serious pressure from the Government and NHS England to transform healthcare.