People with minor ailments are being asked to use other services

Over the past six months, the John Radcliffe Hospital A&E unit has been coping with a surge in out-patients.

Horton Hospital has recorded an even higher increase of 17%.

NHS chiefs are now appealing for people to attend GP surgeries or use NHS Direct's website, rather than putting A&E staff under extra pressure.

'Huge strain'

On some days, both hospitals' emergency departments have seen up to 20% more people than they would normally expect, an Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said.

Ailsa Granne, director with responsibility for emergency care at the Trust, said: "We do not know why we have seen so many more people in the department over the past few weeks, and are looking at the figures to try to understand the reasons.

"It has put a huge strain on the hospitals and we want to make sure that people are aware of the range of health care options they have in their area.

"While I do not want to frighten away people who really need emergency health care, the public must understand that our emergency departments are for people who need urgent treatment not those with a minor medical problem."