HEALTH commissioners are hopeful that improved services will help prevent patients from repeatedly turning up at hospital unnecessarily.

Last week the Lancashire Telegraph revealed how two patients had attended East Lancashire’s emergency or urgent care wards more than 100 times last year.

There were also five patients who attended more than 50 times each, with 224 people seeking care on more than 10 occasions.

East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen clinical commissioning groups said in a joint statement: “Because of the complexity of the health and social care needs of some of these patients, we feel that a proactive, person-centred approach is the key.

“Some of these initiatives are in relation to preventing the frequent attendances of patients within Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General A&E and urgent care centres.

“Some of these patients attend inappropriately and could better access more appropriate care elsewhere, others have complex and long-term illnesses and conditions.

“One of our approaches is to provide community services which enable people to better manage their illnesses and remain in their own homes, enabling them to access treatment in the community and preventing unnecessary hospital attendance.”