SITTING in the sad in his Blackpool bedsit,Harry Harper dialled 999. He told the operator that he had a bread knife at his throat and wanted to kill himself. Within minutes, blue flashing lights cut through the darkness and armed police broke down the door. A few years earlier, and Mr Harper had been fortunately married and running a successful commerce. But after his wife committed suicide and his firm went bust,his life spiralled out of control. He started drinking and was admitted to a number of psychiatric hospitals. With little support, calling 999 became routine. Over six weeks he visited his local accident and emergency (A&E) unit 28 times.
Mr Harper is not alone. Many people who feel overwhelmed by their personal problems come to employ the emergency services as a crutch. Data from NHS England present that around 5000 people attend major A&E units more than 20 times each year. In 2016 they accounted for 0.05% of A&E visitors, and but about 3% of spending,or £53m ($78m). They...
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Source: economist.com