A&E visits rise for headaches, blocked noses and hiccups.

An analysis of NHS data shows almost 1.9 million A&E attendances for headache over five years, and health leaders say pressure on GP services and long waits are contributing to more people going to emergency departments.

Many people are attending A&E with minor complaints such as headaches, earache, blocked noses and hiccups, according to a new analysis of NHS data covering 2020–2025. The figures show rising attendances for a range of symptoms that clinicians sometimes record as having no abnormality detected. Health leaders say pressures in primary care and routine waits for GP appointments are prompting some patients to seek help at emergency departments. NHS representatives have said they are working to expand routes into care and to signpost alternatives. Key figures: - Almost 1.9 million A&E attendances were recorded where headache was the chief complaint over the past five years. - About 1 million A&E attendances were for earache between 2020 and 2025. - Cough attendances rose from about 44,000 in 2020/21 to 435,728 in 2024/25, the analysis reports. - Medics noted "no abnormality detected" for around 2.2 million A&E attendances in 2024/25, and more than 500,000 patients left before a first diagnosis was made. - Latest data shows three in 10 patients waited more than a week for a GP appointment in July, and the NHS waiting list figure cited reached 7.68 million. Summary: Officials report that strain on primary care — including longer waits for GP appointments — is linked to rising A&E attendances for minor symptoms. Current data shows large and rising numbers of such visits and a notable share recorded with no abnormality detected. NHS organisations say they are expanding access routes and running campaigns to direct patients to other services, and further developments were described as ongoing.