ACCIDENT and emergency departments across the country are currently experiencing unprecedented demand.

In Worcestershire, our accident and emergency departments in Redditch and Worcester have been under pressure for many weeks.

Regrettably, this means that some patients have experienced delays to their care.

We believe that it is important to unload patients from ambulances and to get them inside our hospitals as soon as possible.

If several ambulances arrive in quick succession, this can mean that some patients have to be treated on trolleys before we can find them a place in a cubicle.

We never like doing this but we believe it is better to be treating them in the department than keeping them in an ambulance.

The pressure has also meant that we have had to postpone some elective surgery. Every attempt is being made to keep cancellations to a minimum in the light of these pressures and we are sorry if your operation has had to be postponed.

At the same time, we are regularly seeing people come to the emergency department with conditions that can be seen and treated elsewhere in the community.If you are feeling unwell, please think about the best place to be treated.

People who suffer cuts, grazes, wounds, sprains, minor burns and broken bones should visit their minor injury unit, rather than going into A&E.

This will mean you get treatment quicker and allow A&E staff to concentrate on those who have more serious or life-threatening conditions.

It is really important that you get the care and treatment you need in the most appropriate place, which for sprains, wounds, small burns etc is in your local minor injury unit.

There are minor injury units in Bromsgrove, Evesham, Kidderminster, Malvern and Tenbury.

Members of the public can also help local hospitals by not attending hospital if they are suffering from flu-like symptoms or from diarrhoea and vomiting.

Staying away from hospitals will help stop the spread of these illnesses.