A HEALTH chief has moved to clear up "misunderstandings" about the new NHS 111 First system which will encourage patients to "book in" for A&E appointments at Leighton Hospital.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust Chief Executive James Sumner says that medics are doing as much work as is possible without bringing large numbers of patients into the Crewe medical site.

NHS 111 First is a national programme that is being rolled out at hospitals across the UK aimed at "triaging" cases that may end up as straight walk-ins to emergency departments.

Patients are filtered into the appropriate channels of medical care, but the scheme has sparked controversy with critics claiming it will deter some people from attending A&E.

The hospital chief stressed that the system will not affect the hospital's 'blue light' response.

But he said: "I think there's been a lot of misinformation around this perhaps because of the speed of which it was put in place. There's been a pilot in Warrington and a pilot site in each region with the next to follow at MCHT.

"This isn't about stopping people coming into A&E at all. In the current situation the waiting rooms are already full or people who are not certain to be Covid free, we have trolleys in corridors of people who are next to patients sitting in queues who have no need to be there.

"We are exposing everyone to risk.

"So we are encouraging people to use NHS 111 First if they need to come into A&E. But if that need is not immediately urgent and they will be allocated an appointment so we can keep them off Covid-secure hospitals."

Mr Sumner stressed: "If someone was to turn up at the door they won't be turned away. If they didn't have to go in urgently they would have to wait.

"But if we can get people to use the NHS 111 First system we can keep the hospital as safe as we can for everybody."

The system is due to be in place at Leighton by December.

Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (Cheshire CCG) says that "through changing the way the urgent and emergency care service is both perceived and accessed by patients" services will be improved and risks to patients reduced by "minimising unnecessary healthcare contacts".