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Choose Well is a region wide campaign to help educate the public on how to stay safe and look after their health during the winter months by making the most appropriate choice of care and safeguard valuable A&E and emergency services.
In 2009, working alongside NHS Northwest and the Department of Health, the initiative was adopted for NHS wide purposes. The Choose Well thermometer brand was extended to include a series of messages that could be used by any PCT as a poster, bus advert, hoarding or other information notice. NWAS utilised the Choose Well brand and adapted the messages to be more appropriate to ambulance usage.
NWAS launched its Choose Well campaign at 5 ambulance stations across the North West on 2 February. Click here to view the Launch. To help promote the message, all of the Trust’s ambulances, emergency and non-emergency vehicles, will be branded with the Choose Well logo. Emergency vehicles will carry the message: ‘Please Keep this Ambulance Free for Emergencies’. Patient Transport Service ambulances will carry the message: ‘Phoning an ambulance is no short cut to treatment.’ Rapid response vehicles will also display bumper stickers promoting the campaign and selected ambulance stations will display banners supporting the campaign.
 
Choose Well - Background
Choose Well aims to direct people to the health services that can give them the fastest and most effective treatment from the most appropriate service; and to help ease the pressure on NHS services. One of the key messages is that A&E departments and 999 services are for those who are seriously ill or emergencies.
The campaign asks people to think twice before calling 999; and gives information about the alternative services that are available, which may include:
- self-care, where possible
- their local pharmacist
- their local walk-in centre or minor injuries unit
- NHS Direct
- the National Pandemic Flu Service or
- their GP
Choose Well promotes a positive message about the range of help and advice available. It aims to support A&E and ambulance services by freeing up vital resources and giving them the time they need to concentrate on patients who need their expertise. NHS trusts and primary care trusts will be working together to promote messages to the public.
Choose Well – Key Facts
• A&E attendances are up by an average of five percent compared to the previous year, with some of the region’s larger hospitals experiencing increases of up to nine per cent
• The latest figures for the North West show that compared to last year, the number of people going to their local A&E department has gone up by an average of 5.1 per cent to over 2.12 million. With the North West population at nearly 7 million, this means that 30 per cent of our population have visited a hospital A&E department in the last 12 months.
• Some of the region’s largest hospitals have seen an even bigger increase: attendances at Pennine Acute are up by 9.4 per cent; at Salford Royal by 8.5 per cent; and North Cumbria Acute by 6.5 per cent. And calls to ambulance services across the North West are up by 5 per cent to just under 456,000.
Choose Well – Key Messages
• A&E departments and 999 services are for those who are seriously ill or emergencies
• If you are normally healthy there are a number of services that you can use to get fast and effective advice and treatment without an appointment that are free of charge
• If you are normally healthy and you think you could have swine flu, use National Pandemic Flu Service to get advice and treatment. Do not go to your GP or an A&E department as you could spread the virus to others. But if you have an underlying health condition, are pregnant or the person concerned is a child under one, telephone your GP for advice.
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