A report commissioned by the Government today warned that all attempts by NHS Chiefs to try and persuade patients with some minor problems to not turn up at A&E departments of hospitals risk leaving all those patients who are vulnerable without any access to forms of healthcare.

Policymakers, it seems, tend to believe that way too many patients end up attending A&E "inappropriately", which puts pressure on staff and budgets which are already stretched and burdened. This has, in turn, encouraged hospitals to "educate" these patients to consult their GP or turn to units for minor injuries instead.

The new report, however, questions assumptions that are circulating within the NHS that as many as 60% of the patients who attend A&E departments can be easily diverted to their GPs or primary care nurses.

"There is good evidence that the majority of patients choose the correct level of care. A few do not and it is always a risk to plan for the few rather than the many. For instance, patients presenting with a headache to general practice have a very small risk that there is a significant underlying problem producing the symptom. But up to 60% of patients presenting to emergency departments with the same symptom are found to have a significant underlying problem. Using a service model to lower the acuity of the response or discourage patients from seeking care... will not improve quality", the report says.