NHS asks for 'common sense' after woman attends Pinderfields Hospital A&E with broken fingernail

The woman reported to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield last week seeking treatment, but was told to return to her nail technician for help.

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the site, has repeatedly asked for people to only attend A&E centres with genuine emergencies.

The incident was revealed at a Wakefield health scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday, after the trust was asked how it dealt with frivolous referrals to hospital.

Dr Sarah Robertshaw, the trust's lead emergency medicine consultant, said: "You prevent frivolous cases when you don't give people what they perceive they want.

"You get people turning up (at A&E) with chronic conditions. Sometimes they turn up in the wrong place and you have to re-educate them.

"We had someone turn up with a broken false nail, and who wanted it taken off. That was last week's special case.

"We clearly just said to her at the front door, "There's no point booking in. You'll have to go back and see your nail technician."

"I don't know how we fix that, because for me that's common sense.

"I would have expected someone with a broken nail not to come to A&E, but they do."

Local Democracy Reporting Service