GIANT yellow men sitting on toilets and clutching their backs have popped up in Lewisham as part of an NHS campaign to stress A&E is only for serious emergencies over Christmas.

It comes after national surveys show 39 per cent of patients attending A&E could have been treated elsewhere and the yellow men aim to highlight alternatives such as GPs, pharmacies, or treatment at home.

News Shopper: Yellow men with Chris Smith technical services manager and Chief officer Lewisham of CCG Martin Wilkinson

The 10-foot-tall yellow men, suffering from various ailments, will also be turning heads on Lewisham billboards and buses to stress A&E is only for life-threatening emergencies especially over the busy winter period.

Chair of NHS Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group Dr Marc Rowland said, “We hope that this campaign will grab everyone’s attention and help our residents to understand that A&E is not always the answer.

“There are other alternative and more appropriate places to go when you have a minor illness or injury. Please help us to relieve the pressure on local services and use your NHS wisely”.

News Shopper: Yellow men with campaign team members James Staines and Andrew Robinson

To find out more visit notalwaysAandE.co.uk and lewishamccg.nhs.uk

Medicine cabinet essentials include:

• Paracetamol

• Aspirin (not for under 16 years)

• Anti-diarrhoea medicine

• Rehydration mixture

• Indigestion mixture

• Plasters

• Thermometer