Hospital accident and emergency departments across Sussex are bracing themselves for a busy jubilee weekend.

Health bosses are urging people not to visit A&E unless it is a genuine emergency and to try using alternative places to get help.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton is regularly inundated with callers over bank holidays as people opt to head for A&E because they struggle to get a GP appointment.

A combination of a four day weekend and a good weather forecast means thousands of people are hitting the coast while others will be out and about at street parties and other celebrations.

NHS Sussex is reminding people of other places where they can get help so A&E departments can be left free to deal with serious cases. Chemists can help with remedies for hay fever, too much sun, stings and rashes. Common complaints, such as back-ache, minor injuries, stomach upsets and sore throats can be treated by getting advice from a GP out of hours service, a minor injuries unit or a walk in centre.

If you need a doctor or advice when your surgery is closed the out of hours’ number will be given on your surgery’s answer machine message.

Walk in centres are open from 8am to 8pm and based close to Brighton railway station, in Eastbourne train station, in the centre of Hastings and Crawley.

An urgent treatment centre is based at Crawley Hospital while minor injuries units can be found in Lewes, Uckfield and Crowborough.

For more details, call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit www.nhs.uk.

l Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust dealt with 1,083 A&E patients at the Royal Sussex, the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital and the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath on Sunday and Monday.

Managers said the figures were more than 100 higher than the same period the week before.