Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals urge public to use hospital services wisely this Christmas

With the winter months bringing increased demand on hospital services, the Trust are urging the public to use NHS services appropriately and think carefully before visiting the Emergency Department.

Dr Nick Mallaband, Medical Director at DBTH, said: “Christmas and New Year are particularly busy times for our hospitals. We see a sharp rise in cases of winter-related illnesses such as flu, respiratory infections, and injuries from falls. We are urging our community to think carefully about their healthcare choices, so we can prioritize care for the most vulnerable and critically ill patients.”

To help reduce unnecessary pressure on hospital services, The Trust are asking that you:

• Treat minor ailments such as diarrhoea and vomiting at home.
• Keep stocked up: be prepared with essential medicines and supplies.
• Use your local pharmacy for help treating minor ailments such sore throats, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, insect bites or skin complaints such as impetigo.
• For non-urgent medical advice or care use NHS 111, call 111 or visit
• Your GP and local walk-in centres are available for conditions with lasting symptoms, chronic pain or prescriptions.
• Use the Mexborough Montagu Minor Injuries Unit (Adwick Road, S64 0AZ) for urgent treatment for complaints such as simple fractures, sprains, cuts and burns. The service is open 9am-9pm every day apart from Christmas Day
• Use the Minor Eye Conditions Service for help with red eye or eyelids, eye irritation or inflammation, ingrowing lashes or foreign body in the eye or watery eye.

You can also help hospital services to run smoothly over winter by keeping or rearranging your appointments. Dr Nick Mallaband added: “We understand that the Christmas holiday can be a busy time for everyone, but it’s essential to prioritise your health. If you have an appointment with us, please make every effort to attend. If you need to rearrange, do so as soon as possible to ensure we can allocate this time to another patient.”

Individuals who have provided a private mobile phone number and email will receive information about their appointments via email and/or text messages from 07860 039 092, which provides access to the Patient Portal, provided by DrDoctor. To ensure these messages are easily recognisable, the Trust recommends that local residents save this number as a contact in their mobile device’s address book.

It is important to note that messages from 07860 039 092 are not phishing attempts; they contain vital information about your appointment.

For those without a mobile phone number on record, paper letters and correspondence will continue to be sent. Individuals can also give consent for a family member or carer to manage digital correspondence on their behalf. Please ensure you provide their private email address and telephone/mobile number, along with obtaining their consent.