A bunch of ailing cartoon characters have been recruited to help in the battle of easing the pressure on over-burdened A&E departments. The quirky animation has been launched across the Fylde Coast as part of the innovative Think! Why A&E? campaign. It features a remake of the classic YMCA song by the Village People with the six characters suffering a range of ailments from the serious to the sublime.You can view the animation for yourself at the following link:
Alternatively you can search Think! Why A&E? on www.youtube.com.
Launched by NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG, the unique characters have already attracted an army of fans, some as far afield as Australia. Health officials Down Under have praised the campaign and expressed the need for a similar initiative.
Closer to home, other NHS organisations, universities and businesses have shown a similar fondness adopting the characters and the campaign in their local communities. Since Think! Why A&E? began in October, more than 760,000 Twitter fans have checked them out. Thousands of people have also visited the specially designed www.WhyAandE.nhs.uk website to download information posters and other materials.
Dr Amanda Doyle, Chief Clinical Officer at NHS Blackpool CCG said: “The message behind our campaign is clear: A&E is for emergencies and life threatening illnesses only. We aren’t asking people to avoid A&E when it is necessary, but to think carefully about when it is and isn’t appropriate. There are often more appropriate alternatives which can help people get the right treatment more easily and quicker. “With support from the public we can make sure that those who do need emergency and urgent care get it.”
Share your views on the campaign using #ThinkWhyAandE.