Everyone knows that the UK National Health Service (NHS) is severely overstretched. The problem is made worse by inappropriate use of Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments. Data from a new study shows young adults are bypassing their family doctor and heading straight to busy A&E departments, not because their problem is an emergency, but because they can’t get family doctor appointments at suitable times. A stark generational divide in the way people use the NHS is highlighted. People aged 18 to 34 are more than twice as likely to attend A&E departments as those aged 55 and over – and they are far less likely than older people to be able to see a family doctor when it is convenient for them.