It found that most people arrive at A&E with minor injuries such as cuts or sprains.

And this means everyone is waiting longer to be seen. According to 2016/17 figures, more than 2.5 million people in English A&E units alone had to wait for over four hours to be seen. ‘The vast majority of people presenting at A&E could easily be treated at home with basic first aid and save a huge amount of NHS time, money and resources,’ says Emma Hammett, former A&E nurse and founder of First Aid for Life, a first aid training school.

Here, with the help of first aid experts, we explain how to deal with common medical mishaps, and help identify when you really should head to hospital.

NOSEBLEEDS

Usually caused by a burst blood vessel within the nose, this often looks much worse than it is. ‘Serious blood loss is rare and the bleeding is mostly self-limiting,’ says Emma Hammett.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Don’t tilt your head back as this may cause blood to run down your throat which can irritate your stomach and make you sick.

WHAT TO DO: Tilt your head forward and pinch your nose to compress the bleeding vessel. ‘Applying pressure, allow the blood vessel to reseal and stop the bleeding within ten minutes,’ says Alan Weir, clinical director of St John Ambulance.

RED FLAGS: ‘If the bleeding is still heavy 30 minutes after you apply pressure, you are swallowing a large amount of blood that is making you vomit, or the bleeding started after you received a blow to the head, go to A&E,’ says Alan Weir.

FEVER IN CHILDREN

A child who is well in himself, but has a high temperature, should not be in casualty a lot of the time, says Emma Hammett. ‘A&E departments are clogged up with sleepy children in pyjamas who really ought to be resting at home.’

WHAT NOT TO DO: Putting children in a lukewarm bath to cool them down is no longer recommended by experts. WHAT TO DO: Make sure the child remains well-hydrated and don’t wrap them up as this will encourage their temperature to rise.

RED FLAGS: ‘If a child is floppy with glazed eyes or has a seizure for the first time then take them to A&E, as this could be an indicator of something more serious,’ says Emma Hammett.

FAINTING

Caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, in the vast majority of cases this is due to simple things like standing up too quickly, says Tracey Taylor.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Don’t bother splashing cold water in their face. ‘It’s a shock to the system and they can end up inhaling water,’ says Alan Weir.

WHAT TO DO: ‘If someone faints, then put them on their back and raise their legs above heart level to restore blood flow to the brain,’ says Alan Weir.

If the patient is diabetic, give them a sugary drink or sweet as the faint may have been caused by a dip in blood sugar levels.

RED FLAGS: People should regaining consciousness within a matter of seconds. ‘If they don’t wake up after a few minutes then call an ambulance,’ says Alan Weir.

Accompanying chest pain, palpitations and light-headedness, a family history of cardiac disorders and a preceding headache are all red flags.

SPRAINS AND BREAKS

A&E is clogged full of people with suspected broken bones. ‘Unless you are seriously worried that you have broken a bone, treat the problem at home and see if it improves within the next few hours,’ says Emma Hammett.

WHAT NOT TO DO: There’s no real treatment for broken toes other than pain relief and strapping, which you can do at home.

WHAT TO DO: ‘Use a wrapped bag of frozen peas to bring down the swelling in the area and elevate it on a pillow,’ she says.