A PUBLICITY drive by rugby players to encourage patients to choose the right NHS services when they are injured or ill has won national acclaim.

A 'Beat The Scrum' campaign received a special commendation in the Best Innovation category at the 2018 NHS Sustainability Awards in London.

Legends from St Helens, Warrington Wolves teamed up with past and present Widnes Vikings stars to help educate the public to take the pressure off busy emergency hospitals.

Players are seen taking part in fun-filled TV adverts encouraging people to use walk-in or urgent care centres for situations that aren't serious or life threatening.

The programme aimed to stop the trend which saw 120,000 people from St Helens, Halton, Warrington, Knowsley unnecessarily visit A&E departments during 2016/17 year, at a cost of £10 million.

The imaginative campaign generated more than 400,000 online video views and extensive local, national and regional coverage as well as being heavily showcased at Super League games.

The award success coincided with the campaign featuring at the Magic Weekend event at St James' Park in Newcastle and the launch of a new Beat The Scrum video series.

This will be followed by a new series of videos that sees rugby league supporters, staff and players share personal stories of how they have backed the initiative or been supported by the NHS.

Ray French, St Helens RFC legend and the voice of BBC Rugby League, said: “The NHS is there for us all when we need it most, so I’m proud to be part of a campaign that encourages us all to play our part in supporting this great institution.

"Simple decisions such as choosing to visit a walk-in centre instead of A&E can have a real benefit to both you and your NHS, so please get behind the campaign.

"The videos were great fun to be part of and I hope they make a big difference.”

The programme was commissioned by the Mid-Mersey A&E Delivery Board, a coalition of NHS organisations that deliver or support local Accident and Emergency departments. It has been supported by Renova Developments, a specialist estates provider for the NHS.

Saints legend and Beat The Scrum Ambassador Ray French visits staff at Whiston Hospital