Millions of people in England are increasingly turning to A&E departments for minor ailments such as coughs, sore throats, blocked noses and even hiccups, according to new data that health leaders say exposes deep problems with access to primary care.
Emergency departments are designed to treat serious injuries and life-threatening illnesses, yet analysis of NHS data shows they are increasingly being used for issues that could be treated elsewhere. Attendances for minor complaints have risen sharply in recent years, placing additional strain on already overstretched hospitals.
The figures reveal a near tenfold rise in people attending A&E for coughs over the past five years, alongside major increases in visits for headaches, constipation, earache and diarrhoea. Doctors recorded “no abnormality detected” in more than 2.2 million A&E attendances in 2024-25, suggesting many patients did not require emergency care.
Minor ailments dominate emergency departments
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, almost 1.4 million A&E visits were linked to coughs, while 1.9 million patients sought help for headaches and more than 1.2 million attended with sore throats. One million visits were related to earache, nearly 69,000 to blocked noses and more than 4,000 to hiccups.
Constipation alone accounted for nearly 290,000 attendances over the period. Back pain, nausea and diarrhoea also rose sharply, with diarrhoea cases increasing from around 59,000 to more than 143,000.
In contrast, attendances for major emergencies such as cardiac arrest and hip fractures have remained broadly stable, underlining that the growth in A&E demand is being driven largely by non-urgent conditions.
Primary care access under scrutiny
The trend comes amid mounting pressure on the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to demonstrate progress on improving NHS performance. GP leaders have repeatedly warned that surgeries want to recruit more doctors to meet demand but lack the funding to do so.
As winter pressures and seasonal illnesses increase, patients are often unable to secure timely GP appointments, pushing many to seek help at A&E instead. Health leaders say this reflects systemic problems rather than patient misuse.
Pressure on hospitals and staff
More than half a million patients left A&E in 2024-25 before receiving a diagnosis, according to the data, highlighting overcrowding and long waits. Emergency departments are reporting growing difficulty in maintaining safe patient flow as non-urgent cases compete with critical emergencies for staff time and space.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHSProviders, said the figures show patients are being failed by a lack of convenient care closer to home. He warned that A&E attendance for issues like earache or coughs demonstrates how far the system has drifted from its intended design.
Calls to accelerate neighbourhood healthcare
The government’s 10-year NHS plan promises to move care away from hospitals by expanding neighbourhood health services, GP access and community diagnostics. However, health leaders argue progress is too slow.
Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said emergency departments are absorbing demand that should be handled by primary and community services, many of which are not available when patients need them.
Role of pharmacies and alternative services
Community pharmacies could play a far greater role in easing A&E pressure, according to Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association. He said pharmacists are highly trained clinicians who can now supply prescription medicines on the NHS for a growing range of common conditions without a GP appointment.
Health leaders argue better public awareness of pharmacy services, NHS 111 and walk-in centres could significantly reduce unnecessary emergency visits.
Official NHS response
NHS England said staff are expanding routes into care so patients can receive help more quickly outside hospital settings. The organisation urged the public to reserve A&E and 999 for life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111, online services or local pharmacies for less urgent needs.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the scale of the challenge but said progress is being made. Officials pointed to 6.5 million additional GP appointments delivered in the past year, supported by £1.1bn in extra funding, alongside investment in community pharmacies and diagnostic centres offering evening and weekend appointments.
