DOCTORS at Whiston Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department are urging patients with winter bugs to stay at home.

This follows unprecedented waiting times, which are believed to have reached up to nine hours last week. It led to queues of ambulances building outside the A&E entrance.

The situation has eased this week but staff are still experiencing an increase in people with symptoms of flu and norovirus (winter vomiting bug) attending A&E – even though most don’t require emergency care.

This mirrors the national picture currently facing the NHS.

Dr Kevin Hardy, medical director of St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The flu and norovirus are pretty nasty and can make people feel very ill.

“However, most people do not need hospital care for these illnesses.

“Emergency departments are very busy at this time of year and those attending with minor illnesses will wait, often for long periods.

“This is so we can look after patients with serious or life-threatening conditions. Spreading germs can also put other people at risk.

“We are asking the people of Merseyside to make sure they know what to do if they have flu or norovirus.”

Symptoms of the flu include: a sudden fever – a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above, aching body, feeling tired or exhausted, dry chesty cough, sore throat, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhoea or tummy pain, nausea and being sick.

Advised treatment is to rest and sleep, keep warm, take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains, and to drink plenty of water.

Norovirus symptoms include: Suddenly feeling sick, projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea.

See your GP if symptoms don’t improve after seven days, you’re aged 65 or over, have a medical condition such as heart disease or are pregnant.