A DAD who was asked to go to A&E for a urine infection feels resources are being unnecessarily stretched.

Iain Manning, from Colchester, fell ill last week, thinking it was gastroenteritis.

Still, not wanting to make a fuss, he took painkillers and drank plenty of water.

Late that night the 54-year-old's condition got worse and he thought he had a urine infection.

Still, he continued to just drink water.

Mr Manning, who lives off Turner Road, said: "My wife and our son kept saying you need to go to A&E but I refused as I didn't have an accident and didn't think it was an emergency.

"I said to my wife we could call the GP out, I was in so much pain and found it hard to walk.

"My wife got home at 6.50pm and we called our GP surgery, as it was closed we were given two options."

He could either call 999 or the NHS 111 service.

He called 111 and was told an ambulance would turn up.

He said: "All I needed was a visit by a GP at home and a prescription for some medication.

"After two hours of not hearing anything we phoned 111 again and was told to ring 999.

"Just as we were about to call, a paramedic called and after answering a few more questions she told me as I lived close to the hospital I should walk there.

"I had enough of a struggle just to walk to the loo, my friend came round and gave me a lift.

"I booked myself in to A&E then waited for a few hours. I had a cannula fitted and blood taken.

"With two minutes of speaking to a doctor he said if he had seen the urine first he wouldn't have bothered with testing my blood.

"As the blood had been done already I had to wait an hour for the results."

He said being asked to go to a&e is putting a strain on the department.

He added: "Why are the emergency services being called for non-emergency? It just seems ridiculous stretching a service that is already stretched to its limit.

"All I needed was some antibiotics to help get rid of the infection."

The NHS North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group has provided a leaflet with advice on how patients can deal with non-emergencies.

Visit www.neessexccg.nhs.uk/uploads/files/quicker-treatment-web-version-oct17.pdf