AS A&E departments in Worcestershire continue to come under significant strain, an organisation representing patients and carers in the county has launched a study into why people visit hospital.

Healthwatch Worcestershire has announced an Urgent Care Study, looking at the A&E departments at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital as well as the county’s five Minor Injury Units (MIUs).

Despite a county-wide campaign aiming to encourage patients only to visit A&E in a genuine emergency, the amount of people visiting the Royal and the Alex has remained extremely high.

From Monday, September 8 and until early October Healthwatch representatives will be on hand to meet patients at either of the departments or MIUs in Malvern, Evesham, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Tenbury to discuss their experiences.

Information collected will be used to inform the implementation of the Worcestershire Urgent Care Strategy, which is working to overhaul emergency care in the county and ease the strain on A&E.

For more information call 01386 550 264 or email info@healthwatchworcestershire.co.uk.